The role of social support and social connectedness in predicting loneliness

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the role of social support and social connectedness in predicting loneliness among college students. The sample was composed of 404 college students (212 female and 192 male) studying in different departments of the Pamukkale University, Turkey. Results showed that friend support, family support, support by a significant other and social connectedness correlated significantly in the expected direction with measures of loneliness. As students' level of social support and social connectedness increased their level of loneliness decreased. Findings also indicated that friends support, support by a significant other and social connectedness were direct predictors of loneliness. The regression model accounted for 56 % of the variance for loneliness. Results further showed that there was an interaction effect between support by a significant other, family support and social connectedness in predicting loneliness. Inspection of these interaction effects (simple slopes) revealed that the negative relations between support by a significant other and family support, and loneliness were stronger for students have lower levels of social connectedness. Moreover, other findings indicated that loneliness did not significantly differ by gender. Implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions are presented within the context of literature.