The predictive analysis of adjustment difficulties from loneliness, social support, and social connectedness

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine direct and indirect effects of social support, social connectedness, and loneliness in predicting adjustment difficulties. The sample of the study was 404 university students (212 females and 192 males) studying in different departments of the Faculty of Education at Pamukkale University. The ages of the students ranged from 16 to 27 years with a mean 18.65 years. Forty-seven percent of the participants were male and 53% were female. A set of demographic questions, the Adjustment Difficulties Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Social Provision Scale, and the Social Connectedness Scale were used to collect the data. Results show that social support, social connectedness, and loneliness correlate significantly in the expected direction with the measures of adjustment difficulties. In addition, findings indicate that social support, social connectedness, and loneliness are predictors of adjustment difficulties. Social connectedness and social support have indirect effects in relation between loneliness and adjustment difficulties. In other words, social connectedness and social support serve not only indirectly as a mediator to loneliness in predicting to adjustment difficulties, but also they predict directly to adjustment difficulties. © 2008 Egitim Danişanligi ve Araştirnalari I•letişim Hizmetleri Tic. Ltd. Şti.