Need to Belong Scale (NTBS)

Abstract

The Need to Belong scale (NTBS) is a widely utilized psychological scale designed to measure individual differences in the strength of the fundamental human motive to form and maintain strong, positive, and stable interpersonal relationships. Developed by Leary, Kelly, Cottrell, and Schreindorfer, the NTBS operationalizes the theoretical construct first proposed by Baumeister and Leary (1995). This scale is essential for researchers studying social behavior, personality, and emotional well-being, providing a concise measure of how much an individual desires and actively seeks social connection and acceptance, while simultaneously seeking to avoid rejection.

The instrument consists of 10 items scored on a Likert scale, capturing both the desire for acceptance and the distress associated with exclusion. It serves as a valuable tool for mapping the nomological network of belongingness needs across various psychological domains.

Keywords

Need to Belong, NTBS, social motivation, interpersonal attachment, belongingness, acceptance, rejection sensitivity, social psychology, fundamental human motivation.

Authors

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

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the Need to Belong scale (NTBS) is to quantify the degree to which an individual experiences the fundamental human need for inclusion and close relationships. While the underlying theory posits that this need is universal, the NTBS captures the variance in the subjective intensity and expression of this drive across different people. This measurement allows researchers to correlate the need for belongingness with various outcomes, including social behavior, emotional regulation, self-esteem, and reactions to social exclusion.

By assessing both proactive behaviors aimed at achieving inclusion and reactive feelings resulting from perceived rejection, the scale provides a balanced measure of this powerful motivational force. It is instrumental in research aiming to understand the roots of loneliness, social anxiety, and group formation dynamics.

Construct

The NTBS measures the psychological construct of the Need to Belong, which is defined as the powerful and pervasive fundamental human motivation to form and maintain at least a minimum quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal attachments. This construct, as outlined by Baumeister and Leary (1995), is characterized by two essential criteria: first, frequent, non-aversive interactions with others, and second, the perception that these interactions occur within the context of stable, enduring relationships.

The scale items reflect both facets of this need: the desire for positive interaction (e.g., wanting acceptance, needing people to turn to) and the sensitivity to exclusion or relational disruption (e.g., feeling bothered by being alone or rejected). High scores indicate a strong, pervasive need for social connection, while lower scores suggest greater emotional indifference to social acceptance or rejection.

Validity

The construct validity of the NTBS has been extensively examined, particularly through efforts to map its nomological network, as detailed in Leary et al. (2013). Studies have consistently demonstrated strong convergent validity, showing that NTBS scores correlate positively and significantly with other related constructs, such as measures of loneliness, social anxiety, introversion, and the fear of negative evaluation.

Furthermore, the scale exhibits discriminant validity by showing weaker or non-significant correlations with unrelated personality traits. The NTBS has been shown to predict behavioral outcomes, such as increased effort in group settings and greater emotional distress following social rejection manipulations, confirming its utility as a measure of underlying motivational differences related to belongingness.

Reliability

The NTBS demonstrates high internal consistency reliability. Across multiple studies and diverse samples, the scale typically yields Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from .80 to .90, indicating that the 10 items coherently measure the single underlying construct of the need to belong. This strong internal consistency supports the use of the total score as a reliable index of an individual’s motivational strength regarding social connections.

Factor Analysis

Although the NTBS is generally scored as a unidimensional scale, factor analytic studies often reveal two primary components that correspond to the theoretical facets of the need to belong. These factors typically reflect: 1) the active Desire for Acceptance (proactive seeking of inclusion), and 2) Distress over Exclusion (sensitivity to rejection and loneliness). While these two factors are highly correlated, supporting the overall unidimensional scoring, their identification provides nuance for researchers interested in specific aspects of belongingness motivation. Specifically, the items are designed to load onto a single factor representing the overarching strength of the need to belong.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale

Format: 10 items measured on a 5-point Likert scale

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

Population Group: General population; validated extensively on college students and adult samples.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 16 years and older).

Population Details: Applicable for use in non-clinical and clinical settings where assessment of social integration motivation is relevant.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement with each statement using the following response format:

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

Items 1, 3, and 7 are reverse-scored (R) to mitigate response bias. The total score is calculated by summing the scores of all 10 items (after reversing the appropriate items), resulting in a range from 10 to 50, where higher scores indicate a stronger need to belong.

Keywords

Social behavior, inclusion, rejection, self-esteem, personality assessment, social exclusion, group dynamics, motivation theory.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in the source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in the source content.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is typically directed toward Mark R. Leary (Duke University, Department of Psychology).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original conceptualization of the Need to Belong theory was published in 1995 (Baumeister & Leary). The scale itself was initially developed and presented in unpublished manuscripts starting in 2001 (Leary et al., 2001), with a definitive validation study published in 2013 (Leary et al., 2013). The scale is generally available for academic and non-commercial research use without a fee, provided proper citation is given to the authors and the source. Researchers should consult Mark Leary’s academic website for the most current usage guidelines.

Reference’s

The NTBS instrument and related materials are often made available by the authors for research purposes. The original PDF describing the scale items and scoring instructions can be downloaded here: http://www.midss.org/sites/default/files/ntb.pdf. Further information is also available on Mark Leary’s academic webpage: http://people.duke.edu/~leary/scales.html

• 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.

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Items of the Need to Belong scale (NTBS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

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.