Examination of the relationship between the levels of lo-neliness and social dissatisfaction of preschool children and their self-concept

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between the levels of loneliness and social dissatisfaction of preschool children and their self-concept. For this purpose, the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The population of the study consists of 48-72-month-old children attending kindergartens and nursery classes affiliated with the Yatağan District National Education Directorate in Muğla province during the 2022-2023 academic year. The sample, determined by convenience sampling method, consists of 500 voluntary children. In the study, a general information form developed by the researcher was used to obtain information about the demographic characteristics of the children and their families. Data collection tools included the "Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale" to determine children's loneliness and social dissatisfaction levels and the "Self-Concept Perception Scale" to determine children's self-concept perception levels. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using independent sample t-tests, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Pearson Correlation analysis. According to the results of the study, it was found that the loneliness and social dissatisfaction scores of boys were higher than those of girls, but gender did not affect the level of self-concept perception. It was determined that the loneliness and social dissatisfaction levels of preschool children varied depending on the age of the parents, with loneliness increasing as the parents' age increased, and self-concept increasing as the parents' age decreased. As the mother's education level decreased, the child's feeling of loneliness increased, while the father's education level had no effect on this feeling. The increase in the education level of both parents raised the child's self-concept. The occupational status of parents did not affect loneliness and dissatisfaction, although children whose mothers were workers had higher self-concept. The study concluded that children experience moderate levels of loneliness and social dissatisfaction and possess a high self-concept. Based on the findings obtained from the study, recommendations were presented.