Hausmann et al., 2009: Receiving gifts increased the sense of belonging among White first-year college students
Reference:
Hausmann, L. R., Ye, F., Schofield, J. W., & Woods, R. L. (2009). Sense of belonging and persistence in White and African American first-year students. Research in Higher Education, 50(7), 649-669.
Download PDFSummary:
Either (1) giving first-year college students small gifts displaying the school logo, colors, or name (e.g., hat, magnet) and sending messages affirming students were a valued member of the college community from university administrators or (2) giving students similar gifts without university insignia from the research team in the first semester increased a sense of belonging among White students at the end of the second semester but not Black students. There were no effects on other self-report measures (e.g., assessing peer and faculty interactions) or on persistence or GPA, though sense of belonging predicted these outcomes through other factors.
Psychological Process:
Need
Need to BelongWhat Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
To Feel Connected, Included, Respected, and Valued by OthersHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Am I noticed by others?Am I noticed by others?Bolstering beliefs about social connectednessPsychological Question Addressed
Am I noticed by others?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Heading
Am I noticed by others?Social Area:
Education
Intervention Technique:
Direct labeling, of an aspect of self