Need to Belong Scale [NTBS-9]

Brief Description

The Need to Belong Scale (NTBS-9) is a psychometric instrument developed to assess the strength of an individual’s need for social acceptance and inclusion in groups. The scale focuses on the desire to establish and maintain social relationships, the importance placed on acceptance by others, and the wish to avoid social isolation.

The instrument also addresses emotional responses that may arise when a person experiences rejection, exclusion, or a sense of not belonging to a group. In this way, the NTBS-9 can capture individual differences in the importance assigned to social connection and acceptance.

The scale is relevant to research in social and personality psychology and can be used to explore how the need to belong is associated with behavior and psychological well-being.

Aim

The primary aim of the NTBS-9 is to assess the intensity with which an individual seeks social acceptance and inclusion in social groups. The scale is based on the view that the desire for social connection represents a fundamental human psychological need that may influence both well-being and behavior.

Through the scale, researchers may examine how a lack of social acceptance can be associated with negative psychological experiences, as well as how strong social ties may be linked to psychological resilience and happiness.

The NTBS-9 may also be used across different populations and social contexts to investigate individual differences in the need for social connection and inclusion.

Areas Assessed

The items of the NTBS-9 mainly address:

Need for social acceptance: the importance an individual places on being accepted by others.

Need for inclusion: the desire to participate in and belong to social groups.

Maintenance of social relationships: the importance of developing and sustaining interpersonal bonds.

Sensitivity to rejection: negative emotional reactions that may occur when a person experiences social exclusion or rejection.

These areas are reflected in the description and examples provided in the source material.

Scoring

The NTBS-9 consists of 9 items, rated on a 5-point Likert scale:

1 = Strongly disagree
2 = Moderately disagree
3 = Neither agree nor disagree
4 = Moderately agree
5 = Strongly agree

The provided source does not include detailed information about reverse-scored items, the exact calculation of the total score, or specific cut-off points for interpretation. Therefore, these details cannot be established from the available material alone.

Applications

The NTBS-9 may be used in research and psychological settings to investigate the need for social connection and individual differences in the desire for acceptance and inclusion.

It may be particularly useful in studies examining relationships between the need to belong and psychological well-being, social behavior, sensitivity to rejection, and social inclusion.

According to the source material, findings may also provide useful information for the development of interventions or programs aimed at strengthening social inclusion and social support.

References

Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497–529.

Leary, M. R., Kelly, K. M., Cottrell, C. A., & Schreindorfer, L. S. (2001). Individual differences in the need to belong. Unpublished manuscript, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC.

Leary, M. R., Kelly, K. M., Cottrell, C. A., & Schreindorfer, L. S. (2012). Individual differences in the need to belong: Mapping the nomological network. Unpublished manuscript, Duke University.

Leary, M. R., & Hoyle, R. H. (2012). Handbook of Individual Differences in Social Behavior. Guilford Press.

Leary, M. R., Kelly, K. M., Cottrell, C. M., & Schreindorfer, L. S. (2013). Construct validity of the Need to Belong Scale: Mapping the nomological network. Journal of Personality Assessment, 95, 610–624.