Loneliness in Early Adolescence: Friendship Quantity, Friendship Quality, and Dyadic Processes
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Friendship quantity and quality are related to adolescent loneliness, but the exact link between these constructs is not well understood. The present study aimed to examine whether adolescents' perception of friendship quantity and quality, and the perceptions of their peers, were related to loneliness. We examined the relation between loneliness and the number of unilateral and reciprocal friendships and compared the views of best friendship quality. Overall, 1,172 Dutch adolescents (49.1% male, M age = 12.81, SD = .43) nominated their friends and rated their friendship quality. Friendship quantity was measured using sociometrics to distinguish reciprocated and unilateral (i.e., one-sided) friendships. The analyses indicated that loneliness was related to fewer reciprocal and unilateral-received friendships (i.e., the adolescent received a friendship nomination but did not reciprocate that nomination) and a lower quality of best friendship. Actor-partner interdependence analyses revealed that adolescents' loneliness was related to a less positive evaluation of their friendship, as reported by adolescents themselves (i.e., a significant actor effect) but not by their friends (i.e., nonsignificant partner effect). These findings (a) indicate that loneliness is negatively related to the number of friends adolescents have, as perceived by themselves and their peers and (b) suggest that, once a friendship is established, lonely adolescents may interpret the friendship quality less positively compared to their friends. Implications of these findings for our current understanding of adolescent loneliness are discussed, and suggestions for future research are outlined.
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Cross-sectional studies indicated that poor physical or psychological health, low economic status, poor friendship quality, bad relationships in family, being bullied, and lack of social and emotional support were linked to more severe loneliness among adolescents.
“Cross-sectional studies indicated that poor physical or psychological health, low economic status, poor friendship quality, bad relationships in family, being bullied, and lack of social and emotional support were linked to more severe loneliness among adolescents.”
From A Longitudinal Study of Loneliness Before the End of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Trajectories, Predictors, and Impact on Chinese Adolescent Mental Health (2024) · cites this paper as [23]
The Discussion reports a cross-sectional association between adolescent loneliness and lower self-reported friendship quality. The paper does not establish the claimed links with low economic status, poor family relationships, bullying, or lack of social and emotional support. Its introduction describes physical and mental health problems as possible consequences of loneliness, not as factors linked to more severe loneliness. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPositive peer relationships are associated with lower levels of loneliness in adolescents.
“Irrespective of the quality of evidence, the replicability of the same results and conclusions across different populations, stages of adolescence, types of friendship quality in respect to gender and whether it is between best friends only, all supported the hypothesis that positive peer relationships were associated with lower levels of loneliness [55, 62, 67–71, 93].”
From Association between friendship quality and subjective wellbeing among adolescents: a systematic review (2022) · cites this paper as [69]
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- Authors
- Lodder, G. M. A., Scholte, R. H. J., Goossens, L., & Verhagen, M.
- Affiliations
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- KU Leuven (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Lodder, Gerine M. A.
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-10-29
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 709-720
- ISSN
- 1537-4416 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-4424
- OpenAlex
- W2210491073
- Cited by
- 133
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 3.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- lirias.kuleuven.be
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Research portal (Tilburg University) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lirias (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- adolescent loneliness, friendship quality, reciprocal friendship, best friendships, peer nominations, sociometric status, dyadic processes, actor-partner interdependence, peer perception
- MeSH terms
- Child, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Loneliness, Male, Peer Group, Friends
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