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Psychological-Educational Studies
2025. Vol. 17, no. 4, 97–112
doi:10.17759/psyedu.2025170406
ISSN: 2587-6139 (online)

Gender specificity of loneliness experiences and trust in themselves and others in youth

 
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Abstract

Context and relevance. There are contradictory data in modern psychology regarding the gender specifics of experiencing loneliness and the trust in themselves and others. The relationship between these phenomena is equally ambiguous, which remains unexplored in relation to youth, when there is a significant increase in the number of subjectively lonely people. Objective. The research is aimed at studying the gender specifics of the relationship between loneliness and the level of trust in themselves and others among young students. Hypothesis. 1. The experience of loneliness is more pronounced in male students than in females. 2. Gender specificity manifests itself mainly in the sphere of self-confidence rather than in trust in other people. 3. Experiencing loneliness is negatively related to the level of trust in themselves and others; however, this relationship is more typical for young men. Methods and materials. 170 students with a socionomic profile participated in the study (M = 19.3; SD = 1.18; 56% females). To study the experience of different types of loneliness, the E.A. Manakova Loneliness Questionnaire and E.E. Rogovaya’s method of diagnosing loneliness were used. Self-confidence was assessed using T.P. Skripkina’s Reflexive Trust in Oneself Questionnaire, and trust in others was evaluated with M. Rosenberg’s "Trust in People" scale. Results. It has been established that loneliness is experienced mainly as a temporary phenomenon in youth, while higher rates of loneliness are typical for young men. Students also demonstrate a high level of trust in themselves and an average level of trust in others. Gender differences in trust in others were not found, while trust in themselves was more pronounced in females. The results of the correlation analysis suggest that those who trust themselves less consider themselves more lonely, and this trend is more typical for young men. Conclusions. In youth loneliness is negatively associated with trust in themselves. At the same time, males are more likely to experience loneliness than females, who, unlike them, are more likely to trust themselves.

General Information

Keywords: subjective loneliness, trust in themselves, trust in others, young females, young males

Journal rubric: Developmental Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.2025170406

Received 06.04.2025

Revised 05.08.2025

Accepted

Published

For citation: Sachkova, M.Y., Semyonova, L.E. (2025). Gender specificity of loneliness experiences and trust in themselves and others in youth. Psychological-Educational Studies, 17(4), 97–112. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.2025170406

© Sachkova M.Y., Semyonova L.E., 2025

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

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Information About the Authors

Marianna Y. Sachkova, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Professor, Department of General Psychology, Institute of Social Sciences, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Professor, Department of Theoretical Foundations of Social Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2982-8410, e-mail: msachkova@mail.ru

Lidia E. Semyonova, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Professor of the Department of General and Social Psychology, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod — National Research University, Professor of the Department of General and Clinical Psychology of the Privolzhsky Research Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Nizhniy Novgorod, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5077-394X, e-mail: verunechka08@list.ru

Contribution of the authors

Marianna E. Sachkova — ideas; data collection and analysis; application of statistical methods for data analysis; visualization of research results; writing and design of the manuscript.

Lidiya E. Semenova — ideas; data collection and analysis; selection and literary analysis; annotation, writing and design of the manuscript.

All authors participated in the discussion of the results and approved the final text of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethics statement

Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous. All respondents were over the age of 18.

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