Loneliness and Attitudes toward Aloneness in Belgian Adolescents: Measurement Invariance across Language, Age, and Gender Groups

Abstract

In this study, the factor structure and psychometric properties of a French adaptation of the well-established Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA) was investigated in a French-speaking sample of Belgian adolescents (N = 641; Mage = 14.35, SD = 2.03; 53.4% girls). In addition, measurement invariance analyses across the two main language groups in Belgium (i.e., Dutch-speaking and French-speaking) and across age and gender were conducted on a combined sample of French-speaking and Dutch-speaking Belgian adolescents (N = 1282; Mage = 14.36 years, SD = 2.03; 53.6% female). Subsequently, group mean differences across language, age, and gender groups were investigated. Convincing support was found for the expected four-factor structure of the French adaptation of the LACA and the measure showed good reliability. Results further indicated that Belgian adolescents from the two principal language groups and from different age and gender groups interpreted the items of the LACA similarly. Therefore, analyses of group mean differences could be compared. Given the small effect sizes that accompanied the obtained effects, replication research is needed to further investigate these group mean differences. Keywords Loneliness . Attitudes toward aloneness . Measurement invariance . Regional differences . Belgium Loneliness is Bthe unpleasant experience that occurs when a person's network of social relations is deficient in some important way, either quantitatively or qualitatively^ (Perlman and Peplau 1981, p. 31). Loneliness is a universal phenomenon that occurs throughout the lifespan, but is particularly salient during adolescence (Qualter et al. 2015). More specifically, loneliness in the relationships with peers and with parents tends to peak during adolescence (Marcoen and Goossens 1993). Adolescents are typically confronted with numerous changes in their social world, such as a more pronounced preoccupation with their social status and higher expectations about social relationships in the peer realm, and greater autonomy in their relationship with their parents (Heinrich and Gullone 2006;Laursen and Hartl 2013). These changes make adolescents highly vulnerable to experiencing feelings of loneliness, which in turn is associated with several negative mental and physical health problems (Heinrich and Gullone 2006).Aloneness is the objective experience of being without company (Long and Averill 2003) and is not the same as loneliness. One can feel lonely when alone but also when surrounded by people. From early adolescence onwards, young people spend a greater amount of time alone and their experience of being alone changes substantially (Larson 1997;Larson and Richards 1991). Aloneness emerges as a constructive domain of experience in adolescents' life, represented by a positive association between time spent alone and adolescents' well-being (Larson 1997). In addition, adolescents may have more or less positive or negative attitudes toward aloneness. These attitudes toward aloneness may funct...

How (Not) to Measure Loneliness: A Review of the Eight Most Commonly Used Scales

“…Good fit for a 4-factor solution was found in two samples of Belgian adolescents [ 112 ]. Additionally, when comparing to more parsimonious models, the 4-factor model was found to be superior in Flemish- and French-speaking adolescents [ 113 , 114 ]. In a sample of Italian adolescents [ 110 ], three items were deleted based on a reliability analysis (one from the parents- and two from the peer-related loneliness subscale), yielding acceptable model fit for the proposed 4-factor model.…”

“…Scalar invariance across gender has been established in several samples of Belgian children and adolescents [ 59 , 112 , 113 , 114 ]. Scalar invariance across age has been established in a sample of Belgian early through late adolescents [ 113 ] and in a sample of Belgian children, adolescents, and freshmen university students [ 114 ]. In a sample of Belgian adolescents, scalar invariance was further established across language, that is, Flemish- and French-speaking adolescents [ 113 ].…”

“…Scalar invariance across age has been established in a sample of Belgian early through late adolescents [ 113 ] and in a sample of Belgian children, adolescents, and freshmen university students [ 114 ]. In a sample of Belgian adolescents, scalar invariance was further established across language, that is, Flemish- and French-speaking adolescents [ 113 ]. In a study on Belgian and Chinese adolescents that only included the peer- but not the parent-related loneliness scale, metric and partial scalar invariance across culture was established [ 111 ].…”

Characterizing Daily-Life Social Interactions in Adolescents and Young Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Comparison Between Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

“…Indeed, if individuals with ASD have little access to these complex social skills, it could lead to a worse comprehension of social interactions, and therefore to feelings of rejection and a greater experience of loneliness. Of note, social anxiety was also found to be related to greater loneliness (Danneel et al, 2018 ; Eres et al, 2020 ; Lim et al, 2016 ; Maes et al, 2019 ; Reed et al, 2016 ; White & Roberson-Nay, 2009 ), and this comorbidity was reported twice as much in our sample of individuals with ASD compared to the 22q11DS group, playing a plausible role in explaining the distinct experience of aloneness between the two conditions. Moreover, social anxiety was described by Hintzen et al ( 2010 ) as the discrepancy between the fear of rejection and the desire for social interaction, a pattern that matches what is reported by individuals with ASD in the present study.…”

A Systematic Review of the Development and Psychometric Properties of Loneliness Measures for Children and Adolescents

“…Danneel, Maes, Vanhalst, Bijttebier, and Goossens [37] 2018 Loneliness and attitudes toward aloneness in belgian adolescents: measurement invariance across language, age, and gender groups δ: no data present in paper; θ: across waves of data collection; η: response categories often (4) sometimes, seldom, never (1); ¥: ranges of 1 year stability correlations across three and four measurement waves in sample 1 and sample 2, respectively.…”