| Abstract: | The aim of this PhD Thesis was the analysis of psychosocial consequences of being single in men and women. The notion single was understood as a social category that encompasses certain criteria: never-married, childless, over 30 years old, heterosexual, currently not involved in a serious relationship. The study was conducted by paper-and-pencil method and on-line within 196 singles (F = 123, M = 73) who met given criteria. The data collection included 11 quantitative measurements.
Unlike the social image of single people, research revealed the singles as a group with prosocial profile and well psychologically functioning. The psychosocial consequences of being single turned out to be more positive for women than men. Single women manifested higher satisfaction with life and with being single, more positive sexuality dimensions, felt less lonely, expressed higher general self-esteem and self-esteem in physical attractiveness and popularity than single men. Psychological masculinity played a vital and positive role in psychosocial functioning of single women, while psychological androgyny – in single men.
The conducted study enabled a theoretical model of psychosocial consequences of being single to be built. Loneliness and satisfaction with being single were shaped by self-esteem and gender (psychological masculinity and femininity) through satisfaction with life, initiating contact competence and romantic beliefs as mediators.
Despite social expectations and biological determinates, it was the single women who adapted to singlehood more successfully, whilst men manifested psychological dimensions characteristic rather for younger age group.
The results encourage to further exploration of the single people’s psychological functioning, not only from the perspective of lack and incompleteness but rather as a distinctive scientific issue. |