Loneliness: Association with individual differences in socioemotional skills

Loneliness is defined as the discrepancy between the desired and actual quality and quantity of social relationships a person maintains. Several factors, such as socioemotional skills (emotion recognition, empathy, and emotion regulation), may play a role in the experience of loneliness. Socioemotional skills represent a complex set of abilities that enable individuals to understand, share, and regulate their own feelings and those of others. The present study aimed to investigate whether lonely individuals had greater difficulties in socioemotional skills compared to non-lonely individuals.