Assertiveness, Social Support and Loneliness
Assertiveness, Social Support and Loneliness

Summary/Abstract: Loneliness has been defined as a subjective disagreeable feeling which could have serious emotional, social and physiological consequences (Peplau & Perlman, 1982). Weiss (1973) stated the existence of two types of loneliness: emotional loneliness which is the result of the absence or loss of an attachment figure (parents, spouse, etc) and social loneliness, as a consequence of the lack of social networking (friends, peers, colleagues, etc). Thus, he has suggested that loneliness represents a natural response to the absence of significant relationships for the person experiencing it. Taking in consideration the bi-dimensional perspective of loneliness mentioned by Weiss (1973), the objectives of this study were to indentify the possible socio-demographics characteristics which may influence the different types of loneliness in adults; to describe the feelings that people commonly associate with loneliness in general and, if assertiveness, social support and social skills may somehow influence the experience of emotional, romantic or, social loneliness and why.

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