Loneliness and Their Relationship to Explicit and Implicit Self-Esteem

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and loneliness, especially whether the discrepancies between explicit and implicit self-esteem was associated with loneliness. In the present study, UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Implicit Association Test were used to collect data, 113 undergraduates participated in it. Findings showed that individuals higher in explicit (but not implicit) self-esteem had lower loneliness. Furthermore, we found that the undergraduates' feelings of loneliness were significantly related to the direction of the discrepancy between explicit and implicit self-esteem. These results not only enriched the research about the loneliness, but also the discrepant self-esteem.