Loneliness and Self-Esteem at Different Levels of the Self

Loneliness is proposed to have three dimensions: isolation, connectedness, and belongingness (Hawkley, et aI., 1999). In an extension of the work by Hawkley and colleagues (1999), these levels are hypothesized to be a function of three unique aspects of self: personal, relational, and collective. Brewer (1996) proposed that self-esteem is experienced differently at each level of self. Personal self-esteem is how a person feels about himself or herselfbased on his or her individual traits and characteristics. Relational self-esteem is based on whether a person believes that he or she exhibits appropriate behavior in a one-on-one relationship. Collective self-esteem is how one evaluates his or her participation in a group and how others evaluate the group as well. Given different levels of self-esteem and prior research showing a negative correlation between loneliness and self-esteem, the hypothesis that there is a stronger relationship between loneliness and self-esteem within each level ofself relative to between levels was tested. Dimensions of loneliness and self-esteem were examined by having male ahd female undergraduates (ages 18-21) complete the Loneliness Dimension Scale, the Collective Self-Esteem Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a new measure of relational self-esteem. Correlations were then calculated to determine the relationship between loneliness and self-esteem at each level: personal, relational, and collective. Correlations were analyzed for significance. Results show trends supporting the hypotheses for the personal, relational, and collective levels and significant differences were found for the relational and collective levels. • Loneliness and Self-Esteem 3 Loneliness and Self-Esteem at Different Levels of the Self If you have ever experienced a period of loneliness in your life, you may already know that these feelings are often accompanied by feelings of low self-esteem. Although loneliness and self-esteem are individual psychological constructs, both are very important aspects of individuals' lives. Loneliness may be described as a negative affect state and "reflects an individual's subjective perception ofdeficiencies in his or her network of social relationships" (Russell, Cutrona, Rose, and Yurko, 1984). Self-esteem may be defined as feelings of self-worth and self-respect (Rosenberg, 1965). Loneliness has been linked to physical illness (Lynch, 1976), alcoholism (Bell, 1956), and suicide (Wenz, 1977). Along the same lines, people with high self-esteem have been found to have fewer ulcers, to experience fewer sleepless nights, to conform less to peer pressure, and to be less likely to use drugs (Brockner & Hulton, 1978). Also, self-esteem has been found to be a better predictor of satisfaction with one's life than objective characteristics like income or age (Diener, 1984). Both loneliness and low self-esteem have been found to be related to the psychological states ofdepression and hopelessness (Crandall, 1973). Perhaps not surprisingly, previous research has shown that loneliness and self-esteem are related (Davis, et al. 1992); specifically, loneliness is negatively correlated with selfesteem. The previous studies that have linked loneliness and self-esteem have investigated them at only one level of self--the personal self. Based on Tajfel's Social Identity theory (Tajfel, 1982), Brewer (1996) described three levels ofthe self: personal, relational, and collective. Personal self identity is based on specific attributes and traits, such as academic ability and athleticism. Relational self identity based on one-on-one intimate • Loneliness and Self-Esteem 4 relationships with others, such as identifying oneself as a boyfriend or girlfriend. Collective self identity consists ofa person's membership in a social group and the value that the person places on that group. For example, the collective self could be derived from ethnicity, religion, or gender. McWhirter (1997) has suggested that we need to examine loneliness and self-esteem based on such a multi-dimensional construct of self because a uni-dimensional construct cannot fully address all aspects ofloneliness. I attempted to extend prior research by examining the relationship between loneliness and self-esteem, not only at the personal level, but also the relational and collective levels. That is, loneliness and self-esteem are hypothesized to be independently related within each level of self (personal, relational, and collective). To invesitigate this, I intend to examine the interrelationships of loneliness and self-esteem at each level of identity, hypothesizing that loneliness has three different levels that are related to three different levels of self-esteem.