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Paper Title

The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation

Keywords

  • Need To Belong
  • Interpersonal Attachments
  • Human Motivation
  • Social Attachments
  • Emotional Patterns
  • Cognitive Processes
  • Health Effects
  • Adjustment
  • Well-being
  • Relational Bonds
  • Belongingness Hypothesis
  • Motivation Theory
  • Social Interaction
  • Attachment Formation
  • Psychological Well-being
  • Relationship Stability

Article Type

Research Article

Research Impact Tools

Issue

Volume : 117 | Issue : 3 | Page No : 497–529

Published On

November, 1995

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Abstract

A hypothesized need to form and maintain strong, stable interpersonal relationships is evaluated in light of the empirical literature. The need is for frequent, nonaversive interactions within an ongoing relational bond. Consistent with the belongingness hypothesis, people form social attachments readily under most conditions and resist the dissolution of existing bonds. Belongingness appears to have multiple and strong effects on emotional patterns and on cognitive processes. Lack of attachments is linked to a variety of ill effects on health, adjustment, and well-being. Other evidence, such as that concerning satiation, substitution, and behavioral consequences, is likewise consistent with the hypothesized motivation. Several seeming counterexamples turned out not to disconfirm the hypothesis. Existing evidence supports the hypothesis that the need to belong is a powerful, fundamental, and extremely pervasive motivation.

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