Adaptation of the Bulgarian Version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (Short Form) for Adults and Older Adults

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Abstract

This study aims to adapt and validate the Bulgarian version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale on adults and older adults. We present the results of the psychometric assessment of the questionnaire on a sample of adults aged 35—75 (N=332; Mage=49.45; SD=11.17). Exploratory factor analysis revealed four factors: two factors were identical to the first two sub-scales, the third sub-scale split into two separate factors. Reliability of the new sub-scales was assessed with Cronbach’s α coefficient that showed high levels of reliability for the general scale (α=0.875) and for all four sub-scales (α ranged from 0.843 to 0.873). Confirmatory factor analysis proved the four-factor structure of the adapted scale. The convergent validity of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale was proved by correlation analysis with the Differential Questionnaire of Loneliness Experience. Our study yielded the adequate psychometric characteristics of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for adults and older adults in Russia. In future research, we plan to increase the sample to standardize the scores for the scales.

General Information

Keywords: loneliness, scale adaptation, SELSA-S, adults, older adults

Journal rubric: Testing and Validating Instruments

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/cpp.2020280405

Funding. The reported study was funded by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR), project no. 19-513-18015.

For citation: Strizhitskaya O.Y., Petrash M.D., Murtazina I.R., Vartanyan G.A., Manevsky F.S., Alexandrova N.C., Babakova L.V. Adaptation of the Bulgarian Version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (Short Form) for Adults and Older Adults. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya = Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2020. Vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 79–97. DOI: 10.17759/cpp.2020280405. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Olga Y. Strizhitskaya, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Head of the Department of Developmental Psychology and Differential Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7141-162X, e-mail: o.strizhitskaya@spbu.ru

Marina D. Petrash, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor, Department of Developmental and Differential Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4542-7289, e-mail: m.petrash@spbu.ru

Inna R. Murtazina, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2204-4376, e-mail: i.r.myrtazina@spbu.ru

Gayane A. Vartanyan, PhD in Psychology, Senior Research Fellow, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology of Health and Deviant Behaviour, Faculty of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6266-4713, e-mail: g.vartanyan@spbu.ru

Fedor S. Manevsky, Senior Lecturer, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2688-169X, e-mail: fedor.manevskiy@teamsteam.eu

Natalia C. Alexandrova, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, International Business High School, Sofia, Bulgaria, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9077-2247, e-mail: alexandrovan@yahoo.com

Liliya V. Babakova, PhD in Psychology, Assistant, Department of Music Pedagogy and Conducting, Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8666-4323, e-mail: babakova_lilia@abv.bg

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