TY - JOUR
T1 - Feelings of subjective emotional loneliness
T2 - An exploration of attachment
AU - Bogaerts, Stefan
AU - Vanheule, Stijn
AU - Desmet, Mattias
AU - Ditommaso, Enrico
AU - Poiesz, Theo
AU - Verhaeghe, Paul
AU - Jacobsen, Teresa
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - This study examines the relationships between parental attachment, peer attachment, and subjective feelings of emotional loneliness. Three alternative models were tested in a group of 440 graduating psychology students at Ghent University in Belgium. The first hypothesis explored the linear causal relationship between parental attachment, peer attachment, and feelings of emotional loneliness. The second hypothesis tested the direct relationship between parental attachment and feelings of emotional loneliness, and the third hypothesis examined the reciprocity between feelings of emotional loneliness and peer attachment. Using Structural Equation Modeling, results showed that peer attachment mediates strongly between parental attachment and feelings of emotional loneliness. The direct contribution of parental attachment to feelings of emotional loneliness was rather weak. Finally, feelings of emotional loneliness did not contribute significantly to the explanation of peer-attachment style.
AB - This study examines the relationships between parental attachment, peer attachment, and subjective feelings of emotional loneliness. Three alternative models were tested in a group of 440 graduating psychology students at Ghent University in Belgium. The first hypothesis explored the linear causal relationship between parental attachment, peer attachment, and feelings of emotional loneliness. The second hypothesis tested the direct relationship between parental attachment and feelings of emotional loneliness, and the third hypothesis examined the reciprocity between feelings of emotional loneliness and peer attachment. Using Structural Equation Modeling, results showed that peer attachment mediates strongly between parental attachment and feelings of emotional loneliness. The direct contribution of parental attachment to feelings of emotional loneliness was rather weak. Finally, feelings of emotional loneliness did not contribute significantly to the explanation of peer-attachment style.
KW - Parental attachment
KW - Parental bonding
KW - Structural Equation Modeling
KW - Subjective emotional loneliness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33747136975&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33747136975&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2224/sbp.2006.34.7.797
DO - 10.2224/sbp.2006.34.7.797
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33747136975
SN - 0301-2212
VL - 34
SP - 797
EP - 812
JO - Social Behavior and Personality
JF - Social Behavior and Personality
IS - 7
ER -