Would the Real Loneliness Please Stand Up? The Validity of Loneliness Measures and the Reliability of Single Items

Abstract

Several measures that assess loneliness have been developed for adults. Across three studies, we investigated psychometric features of different versions of the Rasch-Type Loneliness Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and three single-item measures. In Study 1 (N = 697 self-ratings, N = 282 informant-ratings of 163 targets) and Study 2 (N = 1,216 individuals from 608 couples), we investigated the convergent validity and self-informant agreement of the included measures. Furthermore, we compared the nomological nets of these measures using correlates related to demographic aspects, personality, satisfaction, and network characteristics. In Study 3 (N = 411), we estimated a reliability of $r_{xx} > .70$ for three single-item measures of loneliness in a short-term prospective study. Overall, all measures and their nomological nets were highly correlated within and across studies, indicating that the included measures are all reliable and valid. Recommendations for choosing a loneliness measure are discussed.