Study On Loneliness Of Undergraduates And Its Predictors

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of loneliness. A sample of 503 undergraduates from universities and colleges in Shaanxi province completed self-report instruments. Emotional versus Social Loneliness Scale, The Self-esteem Scale, Trust Scale, Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scale, Social Support Questionnaire and Egna av Bardndosnauppforstran were employed. From the result of statistical analysis, some conclusions were drawn:1. There was no significant main effect on social loneliness for gender, province, region, academic grade, only child. There was an interaction between grade and major. The 3rd and 4th grade undergraduates whose major was science and technology had higher social loneliness than other students. The undergraduates from key schools had lower social loneliness than their counterparts from ordinary schools.2. There was no significant main effect on emotional loneliness for gender, province, only child. There was an interaction between grade and major. The 3rd and 4th grade undergraduates whose major was art had lower emotional loneliness than other students. The undergraduates from key schools had lower emotional loneliness than their counterparts from ordinary schools. The undergraduates from rural area had higher emotional loneliness than their counterparts from city and town. The undergraduates with high academic grades had lower emotional loneliness than their counterparts with middle academic grades.3. There were correlations between social loneliness, emotional loneliness and personality trait. Extraversion can negatively predict loneliness. Neuroticism and psych-oticism can positively predict loneliness.4 . The self-esteem of undergraduates influenced their loneliness. The undergraduates with high self-esteem had low loneliness.5. Social loneliness and emotional loneliness were negatively correlated with interpersonal trust. If a student thought his peers' behavior were predictive and he could depend on and had faith on his peers, he would have low loneliness.6. Locus of control could affect loneliness. The undergraduates who believed the situation could be controlled by themselves had lower loneliness than those who...