I'm lonely, can't you tell? Convergent validity of self- and informant ratings of loneliness

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Maike Luhmann
  • Johannes Bohn
  • Jana Holtmann
  • Tobias Koch
  • Michael Eid

To what degree do self-ratings of loneliness converge with informant ratings? In this study, we obtained self-ratings of loneliness from 463 young adults and informant ratings from their parents, friends, and romantic partners. Convergence among these ratings was estimated using structural equation models for multitrait-multimethod data and compared to self-informant convergence of life-satisfaction ratings. Self- and informant ratings were moderately correlated and comparable to self-informant correlations obtained for life satisfaction. Romantic partners were more accurate in their judgments than both friends and parents, who did not differ significantly from each other in terms of accuracy. Together, these findings indicate that informant ratings of loneliness can be used as valid indicators of loneliness in applied contexts and in future research.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Research in Personality
Volume61
Pages (from-to)50-60
Number of pages11
ISSN0092-6566
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.04.2016
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Psychology - Loneliness, Social connectedness, Life satisfaction, Informant ratings, Convergent validity, Multitrait-multimethod measurement, Structural equation modeling

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