Loneliness and the College Student

This research will be concerned with loneliness as experienced by University of Nebraska Freshmen Students in relation to the following: 1) sex; 2) the practice of a religious faith and church attendance; 3) residential location (rural or urban) during childhood; 4) father’s occupation; 5) family income; 6) adequacy of present income of student; 7) mother’s employment during childhood; 8) childhood happiness; 9) selected family relationships; 10) selected peer relationships; 11) dating status of students; 12) homesickness experienced by students; 13) extracurricular activities participated in by students. Data for the study were gathered by means of a questionnaire mailed to 833 students selected at random from the total freshman class registered at the University of Nebraska, first semester, 1971- 1972. Completed questionnaires were returned by 345 students, 41% of the sample or 12% of the total freshman class. The research sample included 138 males and 207 females. Ninety-seven percent of the students were 18 or 19 years old, 99% were single. About 26% grew up on a farm, 26% in small towns, the remainder in cities or metropolitan areas. The majority of the students’ fathers were business or professional people with incomes over $8,000 per year. Advisor: John C. Woodwar