EFFECTS OF RACE AND GENDER ON LONELINESS, ANXIETY, AND SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

Abstract

The current study sought to analyze the effects of race and gender identities on the number of social connections an individual has as well as their loneliness and anxiety levels. It was predicted that the number of social connections will negatively correlate with reported anxiety and loneliness. 314 participants responses were analyzed from Black men, Black women, White men, and White women. When participants were asked to report the number of social connections, they were provided with several ways of listing types of social relationships someone can have. Anxiety was measured with the Zung Anxiety scale and loneliness was measured with the UCLA Loneliness scale Ver. 3. It was found that White women suffer from the most loneliness and anxiety while Black men had the lowest levels of anxiety and loneliness. Additionally Black men had the most reported social connections while White women had the least.