Abstract
Individuals feel lonely when they perceive a discrepancy between the amount of closeness and intimacy in social relationships they desire and what they actually experience. Across several studies, partner relationships have consistently been found to be the most powerful protective factor against loneliness. Previous research on this topic, however, has exclusively focused on loneliness as a concomitant or outcome of low relationship quality, but not as a predictor in its own right, which is surprising given the trait-like features of loneliness. In the present study, we investigated the role of loneliness in predicting later levels and the development of relationship satisfaction over a period of 8 years in a heterogeneous sample of 2337 stable couples drawn from the German Family Panel. By applying Actor–Partner Interdependence Models and dyadic response surface analyses, we found that loneliness evinced substantial negative actor and partner effects on relationship satisfaction and its development over 8 years. Furthermore, we found that women were most satisfied with their relationships when both partners scored low on loneliness, whereas men were most satisfied when their own loneliness was low, irrespective of their partners’ loneliness. Congruently low levels of loneliness between women and men as well as declines in loneliness of at least one partner were additionally associated with increases in relationship satisfaction over time.
Highlights
Individuals are motivated to form and maintain close and meaningful relationships with others (Baumeister and Leary 1995) and not accomplishing this goal often results in the experience of loneliness
We examined whether dyadic similarity in the development of loneliness across 8 years was associated with the development of relationship satisfaction
A large body of literature has shown that merely being in a partner relationship is accompanied by low levels of loneliness compared to not being in a relationship (Dykstra and Fokkema 2007; Flora and Segrin 2000; Green et al 2001; Luhmann and Hawkley 2016; Stack 1998; Tornstam 1992)
Summary
Individuals are motivated to form and maintain close and meaningful relationships with others (Baumeister and Leary 1995) and not accomplishing this goal often results in the experience of loneliness. A large body of research has been devoted to identifying contextual and individual factors promoting or protecting against loneliness (e.g., Bosma et al 2015; Ernst and Cacioppo 1999; Luhmann and Hawkley 2016). Among these factors, partner relationships stand out as the single most powerful factor protecting individuals from being lonely (Dykstra and Fokkema 2007; Flora and Segrin 2000; Green et al 2001; Luhmann and Hawkley 2016; Stack 1998; Tornstam 1992). Prior studies have shown consistent negative associations between relationship quality and loneliness.
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