Development and validation of the loneliness and solitude scale (LSS)

Abstract

This study sought to develop the Loneliness and Solitude Scale (LSS) a scale intended to assess and differentiate loneliness and solitude. The loneliness dimension analyses how often an individual perceives being on their own as negative, unsatisfactory, and distressful; the solitude dimension refers to the frequency with which someone interprets their solitary moment as something positive, valuable, and pleasing. The collected sample for this research was comprised of 724 Portuguese speakers’ adults, demonstrating adequate psychometric indicators. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed the two dimensions, as expected. The results also indicate that the levels of Loneliness and Solitude are not dependent on gender, academic background, and age. In addition, the associations between the two factors of the LSS and emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, and stress corroborate previous literature findings. Cluster analysis allowed for further analysis, showing that stress, when controlling for emotional regulation, seems to have a weak effect on loneliness, a fact that is under some dispute in the current literature. This paper was able to develop and validate a unique measure of loneliness and solitude, centered around the unique characteristics of how individuals make use of their time spent alone. Future studies should attempt to compare this measure with other similar scales.