Need to Belong Scale (NTBS)

Abstract

The Need to Belong scale (NTBS) is a widely utilized psychological instrument designed to measure individual differences in the strength of the fundamental human motivation known as the need to belong. Developed by Leary, Kelly, Cottrell, and Schreindorfer, the scale operationalizes the theoretical construct initially proposed by Baumeister and Leary (1995), which posits that the desire for interpersonal attachments is a core human drive. The NTBS consists of 10 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale, assessing both the desire for acceptance and the distress associated with rejection or exclusion.

The scale provides a concise measure for researchers interested in understanding how variations in this motivational strength influence social behavior, emotional responses, and general well-being. It is frequently used in social and personality psychology to map the nomological network of social motivation and its related constructs.

Keywords

Need to Belong, NTBS, affiliation, social inclusion, rejection sensitivity, interpersonal attachments, social motivation, individual differences.

Authors

Mark R. Leary, K. M. Kelly, C. A. Cottrell, L. S. Schreindorfer.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Need to Belong scale (NTBS) is to provide a reliable and valid measure of the trait-like variation in the intensity of an individual’s motivation to seek and maintain positive social relationships. While the need to belong is considered a universal human drive, the NTBS allows researchers to quantify the degree to which this need manifests differently across individuals.

The scale aids in predicting various social behaviors, including efforts toward affiliation, avoidance of social rejection, and emotional responses to exclusion. It is instrumental in studies exploring social anxiety, loneliness, relationship formation, and group dynamics, offering a quantitative metric for a core component of human sociality.

Construct

The NTBS measures the need to belong, defined theoretically as the pervasive drive to form and maintain at least a minimum quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal attachments. This construct, foundational to social psychology, requires both frequent, non-aversive interactions and the perception of enduring relationships characterized by mutual care and concern.

The scale operationalizes this motivation by assessing two core facets: proactive efforts to achieve inclusion (e.g., expressing the desire for acceptance) and reactive distress or sensitivity to exclusion (e.g., feeling hurt by lack of acceptance). High scores on the NTBS indicate a stronger, more intense motivational drive for affiliation and greater sensitivity to potential social threats or rejection cues.

Validity

Extensive research has been conducted to establish the construct validity of the NTBS, particularly through mapping its nomological network, as detailed in the 2013 publication by Leary and colleagues. The scale demonstrates expected convergent validity, showing strong correlations with measures of related constructs, such as attachment security, sociability, and the fear of negative evaluation.

Furthermore, the NTBS exhibits robust discriminant validity, successfully distinguishing the need to belong from related but distinct constructs like general extraversion, neuroticism, or global self-esteem. Studies confirm that NTBS scores predict unique variance in outcomes related specifically to social acceptance and rejection, supporting its interpretation as a measure of a core motivational drive rather than a general personality trait.

Reliability

The NTBS demonstrates strong internal consistency across diverse research samples, typically yielding Cronbach’s alpha coefficients consistently in the 0.80 to 0.90 range. This robust internal reliability indicates that the 10 items reliably cohere and measure the same underlying psychological construct.

Test-retest reliability has also been established through longitudinal studies, demonstrating the stability of the measure over periods ranging from weeks to months. This stability supports the theoretical premise that the strength of the need to belong is a stable individual difference variable, making the NTBS suitable for use in personality and social research.

Factor Analysis

The NTBS is designed and typically scored as a unidimensional scale, producing a single total score that represents the overall strength of the need to belong. Factor analytic studies generally support this structure, showing that the items load strongly onto a primary factor which accounts for a substantial proportion of the total item variance.

While some exploratory factor analyses have occasionally identified minor secondary factors reflecting the two theoretical components (desire for inclusion versus distress over exclusion), researchers typically recommend using the total score for consistency and maximizing the scale’s overall reliability and utility within the established nomological network.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire/Psychological construct measure

Format: 10 items utilizing a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: Primarily English, with validated translations available in several other languages for cross-cultural research.

Population Group: General population; utilized extensively with university students and non-clinical adults.

Age Group: Adolescents and adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Used primarily in academic research settings in social, personality, and motivational psychology.

Test Methodology: Pencil-and-paper or digital administration. Scoring involves summing the 10 item responses after reversing the scores for the three designated reverse-scored items (R). The total score ranges from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating a stronger need to belong.

Keywords

Social behavior, inclusion, exclusion, social rejection, Duke University, personality assessment, nomological network, motivation.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not publicly provided in source documents)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Contact information typically found via Duke University affiliation)

Correspondence Address: Correspondence generally directed to Dr. Mark R. Leary (Duke University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Need to Belong scale (NTBS) is generally considered a freely available academic measure intended for non-commercial research purposes. Researchers are advised to consult Dr. Mark R. Leary’s official website for the most current usage policies and to ensure proper citation.

The scale was developed and documented in unpublished manuscripts starting around 2001, with the critical validation paper published in the Journal of Personality Assessment in 2013, solidifying its use. The original PDF of the instrument, including items and scoring instructions, can be downloaded here: http://www.midss.org/sites/default/files/ntb.pdf. Further information is available on the author’s official scales page: http://people.duke.edu/~leary/scales.html.

Reference’s

• 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, Mark R., Hoyle, Rick 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.

Items of the Need to Belong scale (NTBS)

Scoring Key:

• 1 = Strongly Disagree
• 2 = Moderately Disagree
• 3 = Neither Agree nor Disagree
• 4 = Moderately Agree
• 5 = Strongly Agree

Note: Items marked (R) are reverse-scored.

1. If other people don’t seem to accept me, I don’t let it bother me. (R)
2. I try hard not to do things that will make other people avoid or reject me.
3. I seldom worry about whether other people care about me. (R)
4. I need to feel that there are people I can turn to in times of need.
5. I want other people to accept me.
6. I do not like being alone.
7. Being apart from my friends for long periods of time does not bother me. (R)
8. I have a strong “need to belong.”
9. It bothers me a great deal when I am not included in other people’s plans.
10. My feelings are easily hurt when I feel that others do not accept me.