Belongingness (sense of belonging)

Belongingness is a psychological term that refers to a person's perception of the amount of social support and acceptance they receive. Researchers have determined that belongingness is an evolutionary need for safety, support, and connection. A high sense of belongingness and social support is positively correlated with mental health, quality of life, improved physical health, and a sense of well-being. In contrast, the perception of a lack of social support or loneliness can have negative effects on an individual's physical and mental health. A sense of belonging does not seem to be tied to the number of relationships a person has but rather to the perceived quality of those relationships and whether people believe that others care about their welfare and happiness. Research into belongingness and interpersonal connection continues to grow as psychologists and researchers learn more about how a human drive to connect with others facilitates various behaviors and emotional states.

Background

Researchers Roy F. Baumeister and Mark R. Leary first proposed belongingness as a concept in their 1995 paper "The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation." Baumeister and Leary theorized that humans have an innate drive to develop and maintain lasting, positive relationships with other people. The concept of lasting relationships is particularly important to belongingness. For people to gain the benefits and sense of belonging, they must have positive interactions with the same people on a regular basis, and those people must also display a concern for the others' well-being. Regular interactions, even positive ones, with a constantly changing lineup of other people do not seem to provide the same benefit or meet the emotional need. The desire to belong appears to be an evolutionary need, as people who are able to form relationships with others are not only able to reproduce but also more likely to survive. The researchers theorized that belongingness as a personality trait contributes significantly to a number of other human behaviors and emotions.

Prior to Baumeister and Leary's article, throughout the twentieth century, a number of psychologists and psychological researchers studied the need for and impact of interpersonal relationships on psychological health. Sigmund Freud theorized that the human need for attachment largely came as a result of trying to recreate an individual's original relationship with their mother. Using his hierarchy of needs, Abraham Maslow argued that other basic requirements for survival needed to be met first—such as food and shelter—before the need for belongingness will be demonstrated.

Researchers have demonstrated that many human motivations are tied to belongingness. These include the desire for power and achievement; the need for approval from others; and the desire to experience intimacy in close relationships. For all of these motivations to be realized, a person needs to feel as though they belong with others.

Overview

The theory of the human need to belong is based on evidence that is observable in human behavior. The first indication for a drive to belong is that people readily form social bonds with others, without being instructed, encouraged, or otherwise motivated to do so. This appears to begin even in infants, who would not be capable of determining the potential benefits to forming a relationship. However, this drive to attach and form relationships protects the infant— and later the child—by naturally keeping them closer to their parents and therefore less likely to be harmed or killed. Throughout history, people always have found safety in numbers; therefore, it logically follows that people who have a higher drive and sense of belongingness are more likely to survive.

In addition, once relationships are formed, people often are reluctant to end them, even if the relationship faces difficulties or challenges. Research has shown that people's thoughts about themselves tend to change when they are in a close interpersonal relationship. They begin to view aspects of themselves through the lens of the relationship and consider their future as it relates to their partner's future.

Moreover, studies have shown that belongingness provides significant benefits to physical health—and, conversely, that loneliness can be quite detrimental. Notably, however, psychologists have learned that levels of social support and connection are measured only as they are perceived by the person, not objectively. This means that a person who has only one or two close friends and may objectively seem not to have a strong social support network might perceive it instead as a strong and positive amount of social connection that meets their needs. Therefore, they will gain all the benefits, physically and otherwise, from a strong sense of belonging. Some people are even able to achieve this with a close and positive relationship with a pet.

The ability to perceive a strong sense of belonging with or without a large number of relationships is important for a number of reasons. People who perceive that they belong tend to have stronger immune systems and healthier cardiovascular and endocrine systems. A sense of belongingness helps students succeed in the classroom and adults succeed in the workplace. However, people who perceive the opposite—that they are excluded or unwanted, even if they appear to have a large support system—often suffer the health effects. People may endure greater challenges at work or school—often displaying less of an ability to overcome adversity or deal with setbacks—without a strong sense of belongingness.

Psychiatrists have studied the concept of belongingness as it coexists with mental disorders, particularly to study suicide rates. Most mental disorders are demonstrated to increase the risk of suicide. However, researchers have learned that mental disorders that typically cause some form of social withdrawal, such as borderline personality disorder, psychotic disorders, social phobia, and depression, tend to have an even greater risk of suicide. Individuals who feel stigmatized by others—such as those experiencing poverty—also suffer the health-related consequences of a lack of belongingness, as they typically begin to internalize the stigma and become increasingly isolated from others to avoid further judgment.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led many experts to examine the impact that social distancing had on one’s sense of belonging. In particular, those who worked from home, students who were in remote learning programs, and elderly people were found to be deeply affected by quarantine and social distancing measures implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19. As such, technology and social media became important tools during this time, as they allowed users to socialize despite stay-at-home orders.

Psychologists largely agree that for mental and physical health and productivity in society, a sense of belongingness and acceptance is necessary—a theory that has significant applications for the prevention and treatment of mental illness.

Bibliography

Allen, Kelly-Ann, PhD. "Your Sense of Belonging in Modern Times." Reviewed by Lybi Ma. Psychology Today, 15 Jan. 2022, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sense-of-belonging/202201/your-sense-of-belonging-in-modern-times. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.

Baumeister, Roy F., and Mark R. Leary. "The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation." Psychological Bulletin, vol. 117, no. 3, 1995, pp. 497–529.

"Belongingness Hypothesis." Psychology Concepts, www.psychologyconcepts.com/belongingness-hypothesis/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2018.

Dewall, C. N., et al. "Belongingness as a Core Personality Trait: How Social Exclusion Influences Social Functioning and Personality Expression." Journal of Personality, vol. 79, no. 6, 2011, pp. 1281–1314.

Hirsch, Jameson K., et al. "Perceived Stigma and Health-Related Quality of Life in the Working Uninsured: Does Thwarted Belongingness Play a Role?" Stigma and Health, July 2017.

McConnell, Allen R., "Belongingness: Essential Bridges that Support the Self." Psychology Today, 1 Aug. 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-social-self/201308/belongingness-essential-bridges-support-the-self, 2013. Accessed 19 Jan. 2018.

Nifadkar, Sushil S., and Talya N. Bauer. "Breach of Belongingness: Newcomer Relationship Conflict, Information, and Task-Related Outcomes during Organizational Socialization." Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 101, no. 1, 2016 pp. 1–13.

Selterman, Dylan. "The 'Need to Belong' – Part of What Makes Us Human." Science of Relationships, www.scienceofrelationships.com/home/2012/4/16/the-need-to-belong-part-of-what-makes-us-human.html, 2012. Accessed 19 Jan. 2018.

Silva, Caroline, et al. "Mental Disorders and Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Acquired Capability for Suicide." Psychiatry Research, vol. 226, no. 1, 2015, pp. 316–327.

Vaz, Sharmila, et al. "Belongingness in Early Secondary School: Key Factors that Primary and Secondary Schools Need to Consider." PLoS One, vol. 10, no. 9, 2015.