Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to examine the direct and indirect roles of social connectedness and social support on loneliness in the adjustment process to university. The sample of this study was composed of 198 university students (112 female and 86 male) studying at different departments of the Faculty of Education at Pamukkale University. The age of the students ranged from 17 to 23. Social Connectedness Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Multiple Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Adjustment Difficulties Scale were used to collect data. All data were analyzed by correlation, Sobel test statistic, and single and multiple regressions. The results showed that social support, social sonnectedness and adjustment difficulties correlated significantly in the expected direction with measures of loneliness. In addition, findings indicated that social support, social connectedness and adjustment difficulties were predictors of loneliness. Social connectedness and social support have also indirect roles. In other words, social connectedness and social support serve not only indirectly as a mediator to adjustment difficulties in predicting to loneliness, but also they predict directly to loneliness.

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