Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 4-1984 The Psychological Aspects of Loneliness Experienced by College Students Jerie Kull Wood Western Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the Developmental Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Wood, Jerie Kull, "The Psychological Aspects of Loneliness Experienced by College Students" (1984). Dissertations. 2406. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/2406 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF LONELINESS EXPERIENCED BY COLLEGE STUDENTS by Jerie Kull Wood A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Department of Counseling and Personnel Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan April 1984 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF LONELINESS EXPERIENCED BY COLLEGE STUDENTS Jerie Kull Wood, Ed.D. Western Michigan University, 1984 Loneliness is a common problem that occurs at various life stages, but is most intense for college students. To clarify and operationalize the concepts of loneliness, several current sociological and psychological approaches to loneliness were critically examined. The major purposes of this study were to identify the lonely among the student population, the types of lone­ liness they experience, the behavioral manifestations of that loneliness, and the effectiveness of an intervention method. The Belcher Extended Loneliness Scale was admin­ istered to 126 students in a pretest and 203 students in a posttest. The students also answered questions about grade point average and plans to return to Western Michigan University. Although there was no support for loneliness being reduced as a result of the intervention, statistical anal­ yses revealed that other factors were found to influence the loneliness scores. Students that reported failing grade point averages also reported more loneliness. Males were significantly lonelier, when both gender and living arrangements were considered. Females living in coed Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. residence halls were the least lonely group. Implications for interventions based upon validated research findings were discussed. Finally, some major implications and caveats for future empirical studies on loneliness among college students are indicated. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation o f techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. 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I f necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University M icrofilm s International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 8420120 Wood, Jerie Kull THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF LONELINESS EXPERIENCED BY COLLEGE STUDENTS Western Michigan University Ed.D. 1984 University Microfilms International300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Copyright 1984 by Wood, Jerie Kull All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © 1984 JERIE KULL WOOD All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This study is dedicated to the memory of Robert A. Kull Remembered with love as a father and a friend Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my appreciation and thanks to Dr. Thelma Urbick, Chairperson of my Doctoral Committee for her wisdom, patience, and faith. Her support and encour­ agement was always there when it was needed the most. I also wish to thank my committee members Dr. Robert Brashear, Dr. Chris Koronakos, and Dr. George Sidney, whose insights and encouragement were invaluable through­ out the past few years. Special thanks go to Sally Pippin, Assistant Dean of Housing, whose help and encouragement were invaluable during the initial phases of the study. I want to thank my family and friends, whose love, support and tolerance were greatly appreciated. My chil­ dren, Chip, Kim, and Dawn, who have given up precious time with tinder standing beyond their years, I thank you especially. Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation and love to my friend Dr. Richard Oxhandler, without whose love and support, I would have never completed this project. Jerie Kull Wood ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................. ii LIST OF TA B L E S ................................... vii LIST OF FI G U R E S ......................................................................................................... X Chapter I. THE P R O B L E M ............................. 1 Introduction ........................... 1 Background of Problem Situation .... 4 Purpose of the S t u d y .................. 18 Assumptions .......... 19 Hypotheses............................. 19 Null H y p o t h e s e s ...................... 20 Importance of the S t u d y .............. 21 Delimitations of the S t u d y ............ 23 Definitions ........................... 23 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE................. 25 H i s t o r y ............................... 25 Definitions of Loneliness ............ 27 Types of L o n e l i n e s s .................. 29 Characterological, Chronic, or Psychic Loneliness........................... 35 Social Isolation .................... 38 Situational Loneliness .............. 39 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS (contd.) Chapter A nom i e .............................. 39 Alienation.......................... 40 Emotional I s o l a t i o n .......... 42 Separateness .......................... 42 Estrangement.......................... 43 Existential Loneliness ................ 44 C a u s a t i o n ............................ 46 Attributions of the L o nely............ 46 Attributions of Theorists ............ 47 O t h e r s .............................. 47 Situational ................ 48 S e l f ................................ 49 Theoretical Approaches to Loneliness . 50 T r e a t m e n t ............................ 52 Self-therapy .......................... 53 Specific Intervention Programs ........ 54 Psychotherapy ........................ 58 III. M E T H O D ................................... 64 Desi g n................................ 64 Sample and Population ................ 64 Instrumentation...................... 68 Data C o l l e c t i o n ............ 71 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS (contd.) Chapter Data Processing and Analysis.......... 72 IV. ANALYSIS OF THE D A T A .................... 76 Introduction and Review of Analysis . 76 Findings..............................