Original scientific paper
Students’ Loneliness and Solitude: the Role of Affiliative Motivation and Some Personality Characteristics
Katica LACKOVIĆ-GRGIN
Zvjezdan PENEZIĆ
Izabela SORIĆ
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the conceptual
distinction between loneliness and solitude, their
interrelationship, and their relations with growth variables of
the Maslow hierarchical model. 124 male and 176 female
students of the University of Split participated in the study.
The instruments used in this study were: short form of UCLA
loneliness scale (Allen & Oshagan, 1995), preference for
solitude scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, short index of
self-actualization, Hills affiliative motivation scales, shyness
scale and mastery orientation scale (Nurmi et al, 1996). The
results confirm the conceptual distinction between loneliness
and solitude, and their moderate positive correlation.
Although, according to the conceptualization of self
actualization, solitude could be used for creative activities,
this correlation indicates that solitude could be used as well
as a coping mechanism when people are lonely. The best
predictors of loneliness are variables from Maslow’s model
(negative correlations with affiliative motivation, self-esteem
and self-actualization) as well as gender (young men are
more lonely in comparison with young women). The
variables used explain significantly less variance of solitude,
indicating that further research related to solitude, will
probably shed more light on that part of the adolescents’
experience.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
20457
URI
Publication date:
31.10.1998.
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