Analysis of Psychometric Properties of the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale Version-3 (UCLA LS-V3) in the Indian Context

Rashmi Sharma; Jyoti Gupta

doi:10.56741/IISTR.jpes.00994

Authors

Rashmi Sharma Lovely Professional University
Jyoti Gupta
jyoti.bhalla@lpu.co.in
Lovely Professional University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5864-4998

Keywords:

Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Psychometric Properties, UCLA Loneliness Scale-V3, Well-being

Abstract

The UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 (UCLA LS-V3) is the most widely utilized measure globally, with various iterations tailored to different cultural contexts. While initially conceived as unidimensional, the scale has been subject to both unidimensional and multidimensional interpretations. However, research on loneliness among Indian university students remains limited. This study investigates the psychometric properties of the UCLA LS-V3 in this population, revealing five distinct dimensions through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirming construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The findings affirm the scale's suitability for assessing loneliness among Indian university students, contributing to the growing body of literature.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Rashmi Sharma, Lovely Professional University

is a Ph.D. Scholar in the Department of Education at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India. Her research interests lie in the field of educational development, with a focus on pedagogical innovation, learner engagement, and technology-enhanced learning environments. She has actively participated in several international academic conferences and seminars, presenting her research to diverse scholarly communities. She is committed to contributing to the academic discourse in education through rigorous research and collaborative initiatives. Her academic pursuits reflect her passion for improving teaching and learning processes in both formal and informal education settings. (email: rashmi.42000012@lpu.in).

Jyoti Gupta, Lovely Professional University

is an accomplished education scientist and Associate Professor in the School of Education, Department of Education at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India. With extensive teaching and research experience, she specializes in curriculum design, teacher education, digital pedagogy, and educational psychology. She has published in reputable journals and actively contributes to scholarly networks. Her research work aims to foster innovation and effectiveness in educational practices across different learning levels. As a senior lecturer and mentor, she plays a pivotal role in guiding doctoral candidates and advancing interdisciplinary education research. (email: jyoti.bhalla@lpu.co.in).

References

D. Russell, “UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure,” J. Pers. Assess., vol. 66, 1996, pp. 20–40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa6601_2

D. Russell, L. A. Peplau, and M. L. Ferguson, “Developing a measure of loneliness,” J. Pers. Assess., vol. 42, 1978, pp. 290–294. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4203_11

D. Russell, L. A. Peplau, and C. E. Cutrona, “The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: Concurrent and discriminant validity evidence,” J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., vol. 39, 1980, pp. 472–480. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.39.3.472

B. Faustino et al., “Psychometric and Rasch analysis of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 in a Portuguese sample of older adults,” Psychol. Stud., vol. 64, 2019, pp. 140–146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-019-00483-5

J. Lee and J. G. Cagle, “Validating the 11-item revised UCLA Scale to assess loneliness among older adults: An evaluation of factor structure and other measurement properties,” Am. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry, vol. 25, 2017, pp. 1173–1183. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2017.06.004

F. I. Nazzal, O. Cruz, and F. Neto, “Psychometric analysis of the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6) among Palestinian university students,” Interpers., vol. 11, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v11i2.269

L. Niu et al., “The validity of proxy-based data on loneliness in suicide research: A case-control psychological autopsy study in rural China,” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 18, 2018, pp. 1–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1687-x

R. E. Roberts, P. M. Lewinsohn, and J. R. Seeley, “A brief measure of loneliness suitable for use with adolescents,” Psychol. Rep., vol. 72, 1993, pp. 1379–1391. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1993.72.3c.1379

M. E. Hughes et al., “A Short Scale for Measuring Loneliness in Large Surveys: Results from Two Population-Based Studies,” Res. Aging, vol. 26, 2004, pp. 655–672. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027504268574

L. C. Hawkley and J. P. Capitanio, “Perceived social isolation, evolutionary fitness, and health outcomes: A lifespan approach,” Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci., vol. 370, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0114

T. B. Pretorius, “The applicability of the UCLA loneliness scale in South Africa: Factor structure and dimensionality,” Afr. J. Psychol. Assess., vol. 4, 2022, Art. no. a63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ajopa.v4i0.63

M. Lasgaard, “Reliability and validity of the Danish version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale,” Pers. Individ. Dif., vol. 42, 2007, pp. 1359–1366. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.10.013

C. Wu and G. Yao, “Taiwanese analysis of the short-form UCLA loneliness scale (ULS-8) in Taiwanese undergraduate students,” Pers. Individ. Dif., vol. 44, 2008, pp. 1762–1771. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.02.003

M. Dussault et al., “Revisiting the Factorial Validity of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: A Test of Competing Models in a Sample of Teachers,” Psychol. Rep., vol. 105, 2009, pp. 849–856. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2466/PR0.105.3.849-856

M. Durak and E. Senol-Durak, “Psychometric qualities of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-version 3 as applied in Turkish culture,” Educ. Gerontol., vol. 36, 2010, pp. 988–1007.

M. Boffo et al., “Exploratory structure equation modeling of the UCLA loneliness scale: a contribution to the Italian adaptation,” TPM Test. Psychom. Methodol. Appl. Psychol., 2012.

S. Zarei et al., “Validity and reliability of the UCLA loneliness scale version 3 in Farsi,” Educ. Gerontol., vol. 42, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2015.1065688

A. Arimoto and E. Tanaka, “Reliability and validity of Japanese versions of the UCLA loneliness scale version 3 for use among mothers with infants and toddlers: a cross-sectional study,” BMC Women’s Health, vol. 19, 2019, Art. no. 105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-019-0792-4

P. Sancho et al., “Validation of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (version 3) in Spanish older population: An application of exploratory structural equation modeling,” Aust. Psychol., vol. 55, 2020, pp. 283–292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12428

S. Suri and S. Garg, “Psychometric properties of the UCLA loneliness scale (version 3) in the Indian context,” Shodh Sarita, vol. 7, 2020, pp. 164–169.

M. Durak and E. Senol-Durak, “Psychometric qualities of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-version 3 as applied in Turkish culture,” Educ. Gerontol., vol. 36, 2010, pp. 988–1007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03601271003756628

L. C. Hawkley, M. W. Browne, and J. T. Cacioppo, “How Can I Connect with Thee? Let Me Count the Ways,” Psychol. Sci., vol. 16, 2005, pp. 798–804. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01617.x

H. Dodeen, “The effects of positively and negatively worded items on the factor structure of the UCLA loneliness scale,” J. Psychoeduc. Assess., vol. 33, 2015, pp. 259–267. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282914548325

A. Z. Sigüenza et al., “Psychometric properties of the UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3: the European Portuguese version,” Doctoral dissertation, Sociedad Española para el Estudio de la Ansiedad y el Estrés-SEAS, Madrid, 2022.

S. C. Tiwari, “Loneliness: A disease?” Indian J. Psychiatry, vol. 55, 2013, pp. 320–322. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.120536

S. P. Giri and A. Dubey, “Reliability and validity of the Hindi version of the UCLA loneliness scale version 3,” Educ. Gerontol., 2025, pp. 1–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/t97159-000

J. Pascalidis and J. Bathelt, “The ‘central’ importance of loneliness in mental health: A network psychometric study,” Int. J. Psychol., 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/pxmdv

D. L. Streiner, “Figuring Out Factors: The Use and Misuse of Factor Analysis,” Can. J. Psychiatry, vol. 39, 1994, pp. 135–140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/070674379403900303

M. W. Browne and R. Cudeck, “Alternative ways of assessing model fit,” Sociol. Methods Res., vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 230–258, Nov. 1992. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124192021002005

R. Sun, L. A. Coward, and M. J. Zenzen, “On levels of cognitive modeling,” Philos. Psychol., vol. 18, no. 5, 2005, pp. 613–637. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09515080500264248

L. A. Hayduk, Structural Equation Modeling with LISREL: Essentials and Advances. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1987. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56021/9780801834783

L. Hu and P. M. Bentler, “Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives,” Struct. Equ. Model., vol. 6, 1999, pp. 1–55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118

J. F. Hair, W. C. Black, B. J. Babin, and R. E. Anderson, Multivariate Data Analysis: A Global Perspective, 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Educ., 2010.

R. E. Schumacker and R. G. Lomax, A Beginner’s Guide to Structural Equation Modeling, 4th ed. New York, NY: Routledge, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315749105

V. Ozdemir and S. Tan, “Meta-analytic factor analysis of the UCLA loneliness scale,” Curr. Psychol., vol. 43, no. 20, 2024, pp. 18307–18318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05681-7

H. Zahedi, M. H. Sahebihagh, and P. Sarbakhsh, “The magnitude of loneliness and associated risk factors among university students: A cross-sectional study,” Iran. J. Psychiatry, vol. 17, no. 4, 2022, p. 411. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v17i4.10690