The Association of Mastery With Loneliness

Abstract. The focus of this paper is on the association of sense of mastery with feelings of loneliness, reviewing research conducted during the period 2000–2017. The basic findings show that across different age groups and different situations, mastery is negatively correlated with loneliness. The presumed contributions of mastery to loneliness are summarized by several explanatory models: Mastery can be conceived as contributing to low loneliness through the initiation of active coping to change the situation, through behavior that changes loneliness, and through changes in perceptions. Future research should include intervention studies, longitudinal designs, and mediating variables to assess the processes by which a high sense of mastery can lower feelings of loneliness.