This paper examines the essential skill components involved in interpersonal competence and the relationship between a deficit of such skills and loneliness. The various sections of the paper discuss the nature of loneliness, the nature of interpersonal competence, the causes of competence and incompetence, and the relationship between the…

Noting that college students have a higher incidence of loneliness than any other group, this study explores the relationships between loneliness and personality/interactional constructs such as assertiveness, Machiavellianism, self-monitoring, etc. Results suggest that lonely people find communication difficult, supporting the value of a…