The relation between trust beliefs and loneliness during early childhood, middle childhood, and adulthood.
Four studies examined the relation between trust and loneliness. Studies 1, 2, and 3 showed that trust beliefs negatively predicted changes in loneliness during early childhood (5-7 years), middle childhood (9-11 years), and young adulthood (18-21 years). Structural equation modeling yielded support for the hypothesis that the relation between trust beliefs and loneliness was mediated, in part, by social disengagement, which varied by age and gender. Study 4 showed that when young adults were primed for distrust rather than for trust cognitions, they showed greater withdrawal (loneliness) affect, lower willingness to disclose, and less perceived success in achieving rapport. The findings yielded support for the hypotheses that (a) low trust beliefs promote loneliness from childhood to adulthood and (b) social disengagement and cognitive schema mechanisms account for the relation.
Rotenberg
Ken J
KJ
Keele University, School of Psychology, Keele, UK. k.j.rotenberg@keele.ac.uk
Addis
Nick
N
Betts
Lucy R
LR
Corrigan
Amanda
A
Fox
Claire
C
Hobson
Zoe
Z
Rennison
Sarah
S
Trueman
Mark
M
Boulton
Michael J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012919:Social Behavior; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult