The loneliness of the zero-sum game loser. The balance of social exchange and belief in a zero-sum game as predictors of loneliness

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between loneliness and the two variables that refer to the perception of social relations as exchange - the balance of social exchange (BSE) and the belief in a zero-sum game (BZSG), taking into consideration self-esteem as a control variable. A total of 298 Polish university students completed instruments measuring BZSG, BSE, self-esteem, and loneliness. It was revealed that BZSG was positively associated with loneliness even when the level of self-esteem was controlled for, but the results of multiple regression analyses showed that after adding all of the predictors into the equation the only significant main effects were associated with BSE and self-esteem. However, in the final model, the interaction effect was also significant, which means that BSE moderated the effect of BZSG on loneliness. Specifically, the positive relationship between BZSG and loneliness was significant only among participants with a low level of BSE. These results are discussed in the broader context of research on cognitive predictors of loneliness.