Quick 20-item check-in for current loneliness and social connection using the original ULS-20 response scale.

  • Answer each item from Never to Often.
  • Nine support-worded items are reverse-scored before the 20 to 80 total is calculated.
  • Your responses stay only in this browser unless you export them.
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Share result

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Connection gauge
What this result suggests

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When to recheck
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Strongest supports

These items are carrying the least loneliness weight right now. They are the anchors worth protecting and repeating.

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Lowest supports

These items are carrying the most loneliness weight right now. They usually offer the clearest starting point for the next small adjustment.

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Answer review
# Item Response Scored point Lens Read Reverse-coded Copy
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Tags: Psychology, Psychometrics
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Loneliness is a mismatch between the connection someone needs and the connection they feel is available. It can appear when companionship is missing, when relationships feel shallow, when a person feels left out of a group, or when support exists on paper but does not feel reachable in practice. Social isolation is easier to count because it deals with contact, roles, and support. Loneliness is harder to count because it is subjective. A person can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely, while another person with a small circle may feel well supported.

The UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, often called ULS-20, was built to measure that subjective experience with 20 repeated frequency questions. The questions avoid asking only "Are you lonely?" and instead cover companionship, belonging, closeness, social ease, and the availability of people to talk to or turn to. That spread matters because loneliness is rarely one simple absence. It may be about not having enough contact, not feeling known, not fitting into a group, or losing confidence in social settings.

Each item uses the same four answer choices from Never to Often. Some statements are direct loneliness statements, such as lacking companionship or feeling isolated. Other statements are support-worded anchors, such as feeling close to people or finding companionship when wanted. Those support-worded items are reverse scored so that all scored points face the same direction: higher keyed values mean more loneliness-coded weight.

Idea Plain meaning Why it affects the score
Subjective loneliness The felt gap between desired connection and available connection. The scale measures the feeling, not just the number of people nearby.
Direct item A statement that points directly toward loneliness or disconnection. More frequent endorsement raises the keyed score.
Support item A statement that points toward closeness, belonging, or social reachability. More frequent endorsement lowers the keyed score after reverse scoring.
Continuous total A 20 to 80 score read as a range. It is not a diagnosis, pass/fail result, or universal severity cutoff.
ULS-20 scoring direction Direct loneliness items keep the raw answer, support-worded items are reversed, and the 20 keyed values sum to a 20 to 80 total. One score direction after reverse scoring Direct items Never 1 to Often 4 more endorsement adds points Support items score is 5 minus answer more support subtracts weight Total 20 to 80 higher means more weight steadier support heavier loneliness signal

A 20-item scale is useful when a shorter check does not give enough detail. More items make it easier to notice whether the result is carried by missing companionship, weaker belonging, reduced closeness, social discomfort, or a broader pattern across several areas. That detail can help with private reflection, repeated check-ins, research-style tracking, or a clearer conversation with a trusted person.

The number still needs context. Loneliness can rise after a move, bereavement, illness, caregiving strain, heavy work or study demands, remote routines, or a conflict that changes who feels safe to approach. The common mistake is to turn the total into a label. ULS-20 is a self-report loneliness measure, not a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, relationship quality, or personal failure.

How to Use This Tool:

Answer all 20 statements from the same recent frame of reference. The report appears only after every item has a selected response.

  1. Select Begin Assessment to open the 20-item questionnaire and progress navigator.
  2. Choose Never, Rarely, Sometimes, or Often for each statement. Keep the same time window in mind throughout the run.
  3. Use the navigator if an earlier answer feels wrong. Completed rows show a check mark, and the progress bar shows how many items are answered.
  4. If the result is still hidden, finish any unchecked item. The score needs 20 out of 20 answers.
  5. Read Connection snapshot first for the total out of 80, mean item score, local guide lane, strongest support lens, lowest support lens, and balance label.
  6. Review Connection gauge, Strongest supports, Lowest supports, and Answer review before copying a result link or exporting CSV, DOCX, or chart files.

If the result feels surprising, check the reverse-coded rows first. A support-worded item answered Often contributes 1 keyed point, while a direct loneliness item answered Often contributes 4 keyed points.

Interpreting Results:

The total score is the main result. It ranges from 20 to 80 after reverse scoring. Lower totals mean the completed response set carries less loneliness-coded weight. Higher totals mean loneliness-related statements are being endorsed more often or support-worded statements are being endorsed less often.

The local guide lane and support lenses make the report easier to scan, but they are not official ULS-20 diagnostic categories. The total and answer review remain the audit trail. When a score sits near a lane boundary, a one-point move can change the label without changing the real situation much.

Result area Useful reading What not to overread
Total score Main continuous loneliness score on the 20 to 80 range. Not a diagnosis or a universal clinical cutoff.
Mean item score The total divided by 20, shown on the 1 to 4 keyed scale. Not a separate scale or second trait.
Guide lane A local plain-language label for the total score band. Not an official ULS-20 severity category.
Strongest support lens The five-item local group with the lowest loneliness-coded weight. Not proof that this area needs no attention.
Lowest support lens The five-item local group with the highest loneliness-coded weight. Not proof that loneliness has one cause.
Answer review Item wording, raw answer, keyed point, lens label, and reverse-coding status. One item should not replace the full pattern.

A middle total can still hide one weak theme, and a higher total can still show remaining anchors. For repeat checks, compare results only when the same recent period, life context, and response style were used.

Technical Details:

ULS-20 Version 3 uses 20 frequency items, each scored from 1 to 4. Direct loneliness items keep the selected answer because stronger endorsement means more loneliness-coded weight. Support-worded items are reversed because stronger support should reduce the keyed loneliness contribution. This method keeps all 20 keyed values pointed in one direction before they are summed.

Reverse scoring is a recoding step, not a change in item meaning. A raw 4 on "How often do you feel close to people?" indicates strong support, so it becomes 1 keyed point. A raw 4 on "How often do you feel isolated from others?" stays 4 keyed points because it endorses loneliness directly.

Formula Core

The total adds direct loneliness answers and reversed support answers.

T = ∑ i∈D xi + ∑ j∈R (5-xj)

T is the 20 to 80 total, D is the set of direct loneliness items, R is the set of reverse-scored support items, and x is the raw selected answer from 1 to 4. The mean item score is T divided by 20.

Score part Items Rule Effect on total
Direct loneliness items 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18 Use the selected 1 to 4 answer. More frequent endorsement raises the total.
Reverse-scored support items 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 19, 20 Use 5 minus the selected answer. More frequent support lowers the keyed total.
Mean item score All 20 keyed items Total divided by 20. Shows the same response pattern on the 1 to 4 keyed scale.

The report groups items into four local five-item lenses: reliable contact paths, belonging and fit, meaningful closeness, and social ease. Each lens can range from 5 to 20 after keyed scoring. These groupings are practical reading aids for the answer pattern, not official ULS-20 subscales.

Local guide lane Inclusive total range Plain reading
Steadier connection support 20 to 34 Loneliness-coded items are endorsed less often overall.
Mixed connection support 35 to 49 Useful anchors remain, while some gaps are visible enough to track.
Lower connection support 50 to 64 More items carry loneliness-coded weight.
Strained connection support 65 to 80 Many items carry loneliness-coded weight at the same time.

The gauge and local lane label use the same total score. They do not add a second statistical model. When a result is close to a lane edge, the numeric total, the reverse-coded item checks, and the item table are more informative than the label alone.

Limitations, Privacy, and Responsible Use:

ULS-20 is an informational self-report measure. It can support reflection, tracking, and clearer discussion, but it cannot identify the cause of loneliness and does not diagnose a mental health condition. Culture, health, mobility, grief, fatigue, relationship conflict, response style, and the time period held in mind can all affect the result.

Scoring runs in the browser. A result link, copied row, chart image, chart CSV, answer CSV, or DOCX export can still preserve answers and scores outside the browser, so treat saved or shared outputs as personal information.

If loneliness is persistent, worsening, distressing, or connected with thoughts of self-harm, use the result as a reason to seek real support rather than as a substitute for it.

Worked Examples:

Support item scoring. A support-worded item answered Often has a raw value of 4 but contributes 1 keyed point because 5 minus 4 equals 1. Frequent support lowers the loneliness-coded total.

Direct loneliness item scoring. A direct item such as lacking companionship answered Often contributes 4 keyed points. It raises the total because the answer endorses the loneliness direction more strongly.

Mixed total with one weaker theme. A 47/80 result falls in Mixed connection support. If the lowest-support lens is Meaningful closeness, the answer pattern may point more toward feeling known and understood than toward simply adding more contacts.

Higher total with remaining anchors. A 62/80 result falls in Lower connection support. The useful follow-up is not only the total but also the strongest support items that still scored at the lower end.

FAQ:

Is the 20 to 80 total the ULS-20 score?

Yes. The total is the sum of the 20 keyed item values after the nine support-worded items are reverse scored.

Are the guide lanes official cutoffs?

No. They are local reading labels for this report. The ULS-20 score itself remains a continuous self-report score.

Why do some positive items lower the total?

Support-worded items point opposite the loneliness direction. Reverse scoring makes stronger support contribute fewer loneliness-coded points.

Why do I not see a result?

The report appears only after all 20 statements are answered. Use the navigator to find any row without a check mark.

Where do my answers go?

The score is calculated in the browser. Share links, copied rows, chart downloads, CSV files, and DOCX exports can still carry your answers outside the browser.

Glossary:

ULS-20
The 20-item UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3.
Keyed point
The scored value after applying reverse scoring where needed.
Reverse-scored item
A support-worded item recoded so higher support lowers the loneliness-coded total.
Guide lane
A local plain-language band used to summarize the total score in this report.
Local lens
A five-item grouping used to organize the answer pattern into practical support themes.
Connection support
The plain-language framing for lower loneliness-coded weight.

References: