Abstract
This study explored the connections among adolescents’ Theory of Mind (ToM), social anhedonia, loneliness, and self-concept. Research with clinical populations shows interrelations between mainly poor ToM skills, higher loneliness, a weaker self-concept, and high levels of social anhedonia. This study extends this work by investigating their relation in a nonclinical adolescent population of 236 Canadian adolescents from ages 11–18. Results revealed that ToM negatively predicted social anhedonia, with adolescents with poorer ToM skills reporting higher levels of social anhedonia. Loneliness, but not self-concept, significantly mediated the relation between ToM and social anhedonia. Adolescents with lower ToM skills were more likely to report feelings of loneliness, which in turn predicted greater social anhedonia. Implications include support for developmentally appropriate and culturally informed interventions that promote strong social connections and loneliness reduction.