Development of the Reason for Choosing to be Alone Scale and Investigation of Reliability and Validity

Abstract

Being alone is often considered a social concern, because it exacerbates negative mental health. Depending on the reason for choosing to be alone, it might offer insights into improving mental health. However, no scale has been developed to assess the reasons for choosing to be alone. This study aimed to develop a scale to measure the reasons for choosing to be alone and examine its reliability and validity. The scale items were created based on six questions asked to Chat GPT regarding the reasons for being alone. In Study 1 (N = 296), an exploratory factor analysis revealed that the reasons for choosing to be alone comprised five factors and 35 items. In Study 2 (N = 311), a correlation analysis with the Preference for Solitude Scale, Positive Solitude Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and praise seeking and rejection avoidance scale indicated the validity of the scale. A confirmatory factor analysis also indicated a sufficient model fit.