PERCEIVED CAUSES OF USES LONELINES: A CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON

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Abstract
Loneliness is a pervasive social problem which is experienced universally, regardless of one's race, gender, age or cultural background. This study examined the influences of cultural background on the perceptions of loneliness antecedents. In the present study, 711 Canadians, 568 Turks, and 398 Argentinians answered an 82-item questionnaire composed of five subscales, namely: Personal inadequacies, Developmental deficits, Unfulfilling intimate relationships, Relocation/significant separation, and Social Marginality. Participants were asked to endorse those items which, in their opinion, constituted the causes of their loneliness. Results revealed significant differences among the three cultures. Canadians had the highest mean scores on all subscales, while the Turkish participants had the lowest mean scores on Personal inadequacies and Developmental deficits. Gender differences also were examined within, and between, cultures.