Trait and State Levels of Loneliness in Early and Late Adolescents: Examining the Differential Reactivity Hypothesis

Eeske Van Roekel,Maaike Verhagen,Rutger C M E Engels,Ron H J Scholte,Stephanie Cacioppo,John T Cacioppo

doi:10.1080/15374416.2016.1146993

Abstract

According to the differential reactivity hypothesis, lonely individuals respond differently to their environment compared to nonlonely individuals, which may sustain their loneliness levels. However, this interesting hypothesis has not yet been explored in daily life: Do lonely individuals feel lonely all the time, or do they feel more or less lonely in specific social contexts? The main aim of the present study was to test the differential reactivity hypothesis in daily life by examining in three samples whether trait levels of loneliness affected the levels of state loneliness in different social contexts. We used baseline questionnaires to measure trait loneliness and the Experience Sampling Method to collect data on state loneliness, in early adolescents (N = 269, Mage = 14.49, 59% female) and late adolescents (N = 223, Mage = 19.60, 91% female) from the Netherlands and late adolescents from the United States (N = 126, Mage = 19.20, 51% female). Results provided evidence for the differential reactivity hypothesis in the total sample, as high lonely adolescents experienced higher levels of state loneliness in situations in which they were alone than low lonely adolescents, but also benefited more from being with intimate company than low lonely adolescents. In sum, the present study provided evidence for the differential reactivity hypothesis and showed that the experience of loneliness in daily life was remarkably similar across age and culture. Our findings provide important insights into the daily experiences of trait lonely people, which may provide starting points for interventions.

Highlights

Adolescence is an important period in life that is characterized by profound changes in the social domain
One study in early adolescents has found support for the differential reactivity hypothesis, in that lonely adolescents responded more negatively to negative social environments and more positively to positive social environments. These studies provide evidence for this hypothesis, no studies have yet examined whether this applies to state levels of loneliness. We examined this question by investigating whether trait levels of loneliness affected the levels of state loneliness experienced in different social contexts
The correlation between trait and state loneliness was significant in all three samples, indicating that higher levels of trait loneliness were associated with higher levels of state loneliness

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence is an important period in life that is characterized by profound changes in the social domain. These social changes come into play because of intraindividual developments, such as pubertal development and brain maturation, which make adolescents increasingly able to initiate more intimate social relationships (Steinberg & Morris, 2001). Loneliness is defined as the negative emotions that arise in response to a perceived discrepancy between the actual and desired quality and quantity of social relationships (Perlman & Peplau, 1981). Loneliness is typically examined as a trait, by means of questionnaires (e.g., Louvain Loneliness scale for Children and Adolescents [LLCA]; Marcoen, Goossens, & Caes, 1987; University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA] Loneliness Scale; Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980). Many studies have investigated trait levels of loneliness, there are several questions that remain unanswered

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