Loneliness Among College Students: The Influence of Targeted Messages on Befriending

The objective of the current research was to examine the influence of targeted messages in increasing helping behaviors towards lonely individuals. Previous research on loneliness interventions typically focuses on the lonely individual and working to reduce feelings of loneliness. The current study expands on this research by targeting individuals around lonely others to notice and consider helping those who might be lonely. Five targeted messages, based on Latané and Darley's (1970) bystander intervention model, were utilized. These messages included a "notice" condition (increasing awareness of lonely others), an "assume responsibility" condition (awareness and responsibility towards helping lonely others), a "decide" condition (awareness, responsibility, and steps to reach out to lonely others), and two control conditions. Participants in the "decide" condition were significantly more likely to report feeling prepared to help lonely others in the future. Those in the "assume responsibility" and "decide" conditions also reported more awareness of lonely individuals during a one-week follow-up. Overall, findings indicate that it might be advantageous to approach reducing loneliness from the perspective of those around lonely individuals. Future research and implications of these findings are discussed.