THE LINKAGE BETWEEN ROMANTIC BELIEFS AND ROMANTIC LONELINESS: A STUDY OF POLISH YOUNG ADULTS

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the association between romantic beliefs and romantic loneliness. The hypothesis was that romantic beliefs are good predictors of romantic loneliness. Design: The study design comprised of correlational study in which participants were asked to fill in the questionnaires. Methods: The Romantic Beliefs Scale (RBS) and the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S) were administered to the sample of 363 students (229 females and 134 males) aged 20-25 years. The questionnaires were distributed across the different courses. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: The results indicated that the only significant predictor of romantic loneliness is romantic belief 'Love finds a way', F(1, 361) = 32.90, p = .000. Higher level of this romantic belief was related to higher level of romantic loneliness, beta = .29, p = .000. Conclusion: Young adults who endorsed the belief that true love can overcome any obstacle, reported the higher level of romantic loneliness.