In this chapter, we explore the construct of loneliness from a developmental perspective. Our goal is to show how feelings of loneliness during adolescence derive from developmental processes regarding the resolution of the self–other dialectic. The basic point of this chapter is that loneliness in adolescence results from struggles with both interpersonal and intrapersonal issues and with the tension between them (i.e., the dialectic of self and other). There are two important features to this point. First, we argue that loneliness results from normal developmental processes of adolescence, and therefore some degree of loneliness is to be expected in adolescents. A corollary to this view is that variations in how well particular adolescents resolve these developmental challenges will account for individual differences in feelings of loneliness. Second, we propose that much of the association between loneliness and interpersonal processes (e.g., the association between some aspects of friendship experiences and loneliness) can be attributed to the mediating effects of intrapersonal processes such as adolescents' feelings about the self.

We have chosen to focus on the adolescent period for two main reasons. The first reason is that adolescence still appears to be an understudied part of the life span. With some notable exceptions (M. H. Davis & Franzoi, 1986; Goossens & Marcoen, this volume; Koenig & Abrams, this volume; Koenig, Isaacs, & Schwartz, 1994; Larson, this volume; Marcoen et al., 1987; Ostrov & Offer, 1978), researchers interested in loneliness have largely overlooked the adolescent years, preferring to focus instead on school-age children or adults. Second, we propose that particular processes related to development during adolescence may predispose the individual to feelings of loneliness that are particular to this age.