The Socio-emotional Loneliness and Communication Skills of Preschool Teacher Trainees

Abstract

During the past decade, loneliness has begun to garner more attention-so much that two separate types and perspectives of loneliness have emerged: emotional loneliness and social loneliness. Emotional loneliness results from the absence of close or intimate ties (usually with a spouse, lover, parent, or child), whereas social loneliness results from a lack of involvement with a network of peers, fellow workers, neighbors, or friends. Several events can cause socioemotional loneliness in the daily life of an individual. One of the most important problems that lead to socio-emotional loneliness is the need to communicate with a social environment. Communication skills may affect our socio-emotional skills and social relationships. This study focuses on the relationship between the socio-emotional loneliness and communication skills of preschool teacher trainees. Two hundred and forty-four university students attending early childhood programs took part in this study. The Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults-Short Form (SELSA-S) and Communication Skills Evaluation Scale (CSES) were used to collect data. The findings showed that loneliness and communication skills were relative factors.