Interpersonal Predictors of Loneliness in Children : Variable- and Person-Centered Approaches

The present study investigates potential interpersonal predictors of loneliness among late elementary school-aged children using variable-centered (hierarchical linear modeling; HLM) and person-centered (mover-stayer latent transition analysis) approaches. A total of 1,088 students (531 boys, 557 girls, M age = 10.35, the age range was 9 - 11) participated in a one-year survey. The results of the HLM revealed that victimization and relational aggression were positively correlated with loneliness, while positive peer relations were negatively correlated with loneliness. The mover-stayer analysis, however, showed that higher positive peer relations, lower victimization, and lower relational aggression do not necessarily relate to lower loneliness. Instead, the analysis only supported the findings in the inverse direction in which lower positive peer relations, higher victimization, and higher relational aggression are predictors of higher loneliness. We discuss a significance of a combination approach for sounding an alarm over-dependence on the variable-centered approaches dominating child research and concluded the precautionary approach preventing the experience of loneliness, rather than reducing loneliness, is important for children in school education.