3.3. Measures

3.3.1. Independent Variable: Loneliness
Loneliness was measured by a single direct question: “Do you sometimes feel lonely?” with four options: never, seldom, sometimes, often.

3.3.2. Dependent Variable: Subjective Age during a Crisis (the COVID-19 Pandemic).
Subjective age was measured by two direct questions: “On a scale from 0 to 5, how old do you feel?” The six options were on a scale between 0 = younger than my actual age, and 5 = older than my actual age. The participants were asked to refer to the time before the COVID-19 pandemic and the time during the pandemic.