1Differential Loneliness Scale for Non-student Populations (Schmidt & Sermat, 1983)

Instructions: For each statement, decide whether it describes you or your situation or not. If it
does seem to describe you or your situation, mar it !"#$ (!). If not, mar it F%&S$ (F). If an
item is not a''(icab(e to you because you are current(y not in)o()ed in the situation it de'icts,
e.*., a current romantic or marita( re(ationshi', then mar it F%&S$ (F).
1.+ I find it easy to e,'ress fee(in*s of affection toward members
of my fami(y.
! F Fam
-. .ost e)eryone around me is a stran*er. ! F /r
3. I usua((y wait for a friend to ca(( me u' and in)ite me out
before main* '(ans to *o anywhere.
! F Fr
0. + .ost of my friends understand my moti)es and reasonin*. ! F Fr
1. %t this time, I do not ha)e a romantic re(ationshi' that means a
(ot to me.
! F "2S
3.
I don=t *et a(on* )ery we(( with my fami(y.
! F Fam
4.+ I ha)e at (east one *ood friend of the same se,. ! F Fr
8.
I can=t de'end on *ettin* mora( or financia( su''ort from any
*rou' or or*ani5ation in a time of troub(e.
! F /r
9.+ I am now in)o()ed in a romantic or marita( re(ationshi' where
both of us mae a *enuine effort at coo'eration.
! F "2S
16. I often become shy and retirin* in the com'any of re(ati)es. ! F Fam
11.+ Some of my friends wi(( stand by me in a(most any difficu(ty. ! F Fr
1-.
7eo'(e in my community aren=t rea((y interested in what I
thin or fee(.
! F /r
13. .y tryin* to ha)e friends and to be (ied se(dom succeeds the
way I wou(d (ie it to.
! F Fr
10.+ I s'end time ta(in* indi)idua((y with each member of my
fami(y.
! F Fam
11. I find it difficu(t to te(( anyone that I (o)e him or her. ! F "2S
13.
I don=t ha)e many friends in the city where I (i)e.
! F Fr
14.+ I wor we(( with others in a *rou'. ! F /r
18.+ I am an im'ortant 'art of the emotiona( and 'hysica( we((8
bein* of my (o)er or s'ouse.
! F "2S
19.
I don=t fee( that I can turn to my friends (i)in* around me for
he(' when I need it.
! F Fr
-6.
I don=t thin that anyone in my fami(y rea((y understands me.
! F Fam
-1.+ I ha)e a (o)er or s'ouse who fu(fi(s many of my emotiona(
needs.
! F "2S
--.+ .y friends are *enera((y interested in what I am doin*,
a(thou*h not to the 'oint of bein* nosy.
! F Fr
-3.+ .embers of my fami(y en9oy meetin* my friends. ! F Fr
-0.+ I a((ow myse(f to become c(ose to my friends. ! F Fr
-1. .y re(ati)es are *enera((y too busy with their concerns to
bother about my 'rob(ems.
! F Fam
-3. Few of my friends understand me the way I want to be
understood.
! F Fr
-4. :o one in the community where I (i)e cares much about me. ! F /r
-8.
"i*ht now, I don=t ha)e true com'atibi(ity in a romantic or
marita( re(ationshi'.
! F "2S
-9.+ .embers of my fami(y *i)e me the ind of su''ort that I need. ! F Fam
36. % (ot of my friendshi's u(timate(y turn out to be 'retty
disa''ointin*.
! F Fr
31.+ .y romantic or marita( 'artner *i)es me much su''ort and
encoura*ement.
! F "2S
3-. I am not )ery o'en with members of my fami(y. ! F Fam
33. I often fee( resentfu( about certain actions of my friends. ! F Fr
30. I am embarrassed about the way my fami(y beha)es. ! F Fam
31. 7eo'(e who say they are in (o)e with me are usua((y on(y
tryin* to rationa(i5e usin* me for their own 'ur'oses.
! F "2S
33.+ I ha)e a *ood re(ationshi' with most members of my fami(y. ! F Fam
34.+ In my re(ationshi's, I am *enera((y ab(e to e,'ress both
'ositi)e and ne*ati)e fee(in*s.
! F Fr
38.
I don=t *et much satisfaction from the *rou's I attend.
! F /r
39.+ I *et '(enty of he(' and su''ort from friends. ! F Fr
06. I seem to ha)e (itt(e to say to members of my fami(y. ! F Fam
01.
I don=t ha)e any one s'ecia( (o)e re(ationshi' in which I fee(
rea((y understood.
! F "2S
0-.+ I rea((y fee( that I be(on* to a fami(y. ! F Fam
03. I ha)e few friends with whom I can ta( o'en(y. ! F Fr
00. .y fami(y is ;uite critica( of me. ! F Fam
01.+ I ha)e an acti)e (o)e (ife. ! F "2S
03. I ha)e few friends that I can de'end on to fu(fi( their end of
mutua( commitments.
! F Fr
04.+ /enera((y I fee( that members of my fami(y acnow(ed*e my
stren*ths and 'ositi)e ;ua(ities.
! F Fam
08.+ I ha)e at (east one rea( friend. ! F Fr
09.
I don=t ha)e any nei*hbours who wou(d he(' me out in a time
of need.
! F /r
16.+ .embers of my fami(y are re(a,ed and easy8*oin* with each
other.
! F Fam
11. I ha)e mo)ed around so much that I find it difficu(t to
maintain (astin* friendshi's.
! F Fr
1-.+ I tend to *et a(on* we(( with 'artners in romantic re(ationshi's. ! F "2S
13. I find it difficu(t to in)ite a friend to do somethin* with me. ! F Fr
10. I ha)e (itt(e contact with members of my fami(y. ! F Fam
11.
.y friends don=t seem to stay interested in me for (on*.
! F Fr
13.+ !here are 'eo'(e in my community who understand my )iews
and be(iefs.
! F /r
14. %s much as 'ossib(e, I a)oid members of my fami(y. ! F Fam
18. I se(dom *et the emotiona( security I need from a romantic or
se,ua( re(ationshi'.
! F "2S
19.+ .y fami(y usua((y )a(ues my o'inion when a fami(y decision
is to be made.
! F Fam
36.+ .ost of my friends are *enuine(y concerned about my we(fare. ! F Fr
:ote: Scorin* on the sca(e is determined in the fo((owin* way: For items with no asteris ne,t to
the item number, each marin* of ! (!"#$) is *i)en one 'oint. For items with an asteris, each
marin* of F (F%&S$) is *i)en one 'oint. !he sca(e measures (one(iness in four ty'es of
re(ationshi's, name(y romantic2se,ua( re(ationshi's ("2S), friendshi's (Fr), re(ationshi's with
fami(y (Fam), and re(ationshi's with (ar*er *rou's (/r).
References
Schmidt, :. & Sermat, <. (1983). .easurin* (one(iness in different re(ationshi's. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 163881604.