Loneliness and social dissatisfaction in Turkish adolescents

DEMİR A. G., Tarhan N.

JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, vol.135, no.1, pp.113-123, 2001 (SSCI) identifier identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 135 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2001
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/00223980109603684
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.113-123
  • Keywords: loneliness and social dissatisfaction, sociometric status, Turkish adolescents, PEER RELATIONS, MIDDLE CHILDHOOD, SOCIOMETRIC STATUS, SELF-PERCEPTIONS, CHILDREN, EXPERIENCES, ADJUSTMENT, SCHOOL, PREDICTORS
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The present study is an investigation of the relationships of sociometric status, gender, and academic achievement to loneliness levels of Turkish adolescents. Participants were 370 secondary school students (186 girls and 184 boys). Data on loneliness and social dissatisfaction levels of students were collected with the Turkish version of S. R. Asher and V. A. Wheeler's (1985) Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale. Sociometric data were gathered by using a rating scale and a positive nomination measure devised by S. R. Asher and K. A. Dodge (1986) in which participants were classified into one of four groups (popular, rejected, neglected, and controversial). The scores obtained from these measures were treated by a method similar to that of J. D. Cole, K. A. Dodge, and H. Coppotelli's (1982) standard score approach. Results revealed that sociometric status was significantly related to loneliness and social dissatisfaction as a function of peel relations. Members of the rejected group reported significantly higher levels of loneliness and social dissatisfaction than did members of the controversial, popular, and neglected groups. The controversial group was also significantly different from the popular group in loneliness level. No significant gender differences were found. Results also revealed a significant negative relationship between achievement scores and loneliness, indicating that as the level of loneliness increased, academic achievement decreased.