Prior research in non-U.S. samples has found a complex nonlinear relationship between loneliness and age. This research has shown that established predictors of loneliness—poor health, being unmarried, living alone, and having infrequent social interactions—help to explain age differences in loneliness. However, while some variables were found to be universal predictors of loneliness at all ages, others were relevant in specific age groups only. In this study, we describe age differences in frequency of loneliness from age 18 to 89+ years in the U.S. and examine age differences in predictors of loneliness from age-specificity and age-normative perspectives. We used cross-sectional nationally representative data from the General Social Survey (N = 2,477) and found a nonlinear relationship between age and loneliness that closely resembles prior research. However, we found no evidence for age-specific predictors of loneliness. Household income, household size, marital status, health, and frequency of socializing were “universal” predictors of loneliness; their associations with loneliness did not differ in strength with age. Our hypothesis that individuals who deviated from age-specific norms would experience more intense loneliness was not supported. Implications for research and loneliness interventions are discussed.

先前对非美国样本的研究发现孤独与年龄之间存在复杂的非线性关系。这项研究表明，孤独的既定预测因素——健康状况不佳、未婚、独居和不频繁的社交互动——有助于解释孤独感的年龄差异。然而，虽然一些变量被发现是所有年龄段孤独感的普遍预测因素，但其他变量仅与特定年龄组相关。在这项研究中，我们描述了美国从 18 岁到 89 岁以上的孤独感频率的年龄差异，并从年龄特异性和年龄规范的角度检查了孤独感预测因子的年龄差异。我们使用了来自一般社会调查（N= 2,477），并发现年龄与孤独感之间存在非线性关系，这与先前的研究非常相似。然而，我们没有发现任何年龄特异性预测孤独感的证据。家庭收入、家庭规模、婚姻状况、健康状况和社交频率是孤独感的“普遍”预测因素；他们与孤独的联系并没有随着年龄的增长而变化。我们假设偏离特定年龄规范的人会经历更强烈的孤独感，这一假设没有得到支持。讨论了研究和孤独干预的影响。