Using the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale With Early Adolescents: Factor Structure, Reliability, Stability, and...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Loneliness is a significant concern in early adolescence.
• Existing measures may not be suitable for this age group or lack psychometric validation.
• The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) has shown promise but requires rigorous examination in diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first comprehensive examination of the factor structures, reliability, external validity, longitudinal invariance, and stability of the DJGLS in early adolescents.
• To validate the DJGLS for use in Polish primary school pupils.
• To assess the suitability of the DJGLS for measuring loneliness across different age groups and contexts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a two-wave, large, representative sample of Polish primary school pupils.
• Employed longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis to examine the scale's structure and invariance over time.
• Assessed external validity through correlations with self-rated loneliness, sociometric measures, social self-efficacy, and demographic variables.

Main Results:

• The bifactor model best represents the DJGLS factor structure, indicating a strong general factor of loneliness.
• Essential unidimensionality was observed, suggesting subfactors are less relevant than the overall loneliness score.
• The bifactor structure demonstrated longitudinal invariance, confirming stability over time.
• Correlations with various measures supported the DJGLS's external validity.

Conclusions:

• The DJGLS is a psychometrically sound and reliable instrument for measuring loneliness in early adolescents.
• The scale's general factor is robust and invariant over time, making it suitable for longitudinal studies.
• The DJGLS can be used beyond the school context, enabling comparisons across different age groups and settings.