The General Belongingness Scale (GBS): Assessing achieved belongingness

Belongingness has emerged as a central construct of theoretical importance in the last two decades; however, little attention has been given to develop a brief, psychometrically sound measure of general belongingness. Three studies were conducted to develop a 12-item measure to assess a sense of general belongingness. Students were recruited to participate in online computer-administered surveys (N = 81, 875, and 213, respectively). High reliability and strong patterns of validity estimates are established. EFA and CFA results indicate a 2-factor structure (Acceptance/Inclusion and lack of Rejection/Exclusion), with a high inter-factor correlation. The current investigation is the first to document that achieved belongingness is distinct from the need to belong, and to show strong associations between belongingness and the Big Five personality traits of Neuroticism (r = −.51) and Extraversion (r = .46).

► A reliable and valid brief measure of general belongingness was developed. ► Achieved belongingness is distinct from the need to belong. ► Belongingness predicts subjective well-being. ► Big Five personality factors predict belongingness.