The present study examined the influence of incarceration on perceived sources of loneliness. It was hypothesized that incarcerated offenders would perceive the causes of their loneliness differently than would the general population sample. On an 82-item, yes-or-no questionnaire, 162 men from the general population and 199 male offenders, all of which were recruited on a voluntary basis, reported the sources of their loneliness. Results indicated a significant difference in the perceived sources of loneliness among the two populations. It also was found that the duration of loneliness (i.e., chronic vs. episodic) and its presence at the time of testing affect the perception of its causes.
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