Attachment, Social Support, and Loneliness in Young Adulthood: A Test of Two Models

Abstract

This study tested the validity of two models predicting states of loneliness: the social network mediation model and the cognitive bias model. The social network mediation model posits that personal dispositions influence states of loneliness through various dimensions of the social network. According to the cognitive bias model, states of loneliness are not explained by social network characteristics but rather by a negative cognitive filter related to personality. Unique aspects of the study included testing these two models while selecting attachment security as a personal disposition variable and using reports from participants and friends to assess social support. A new model combining processes outlined in both previous models (which we called the cognitive-network model) was found to be the best representation of our data. Discussion centers on the implications of this model for social support research and interventions.