In a comprehensive study involving nearly 5,000 first-year college students in North America, researchers discovered that certain personality traits play a crucial role in shaping students’ sense of belonging on campus. The findings, presented by independent researcher Alexandria Stubblebine from Ocala, Florida, and colleagues in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, shed light on the impact of extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism on students’ feelings of connection within the college environment.
Previous research has hinted at the association between personality traits and a general sense of belonging. However, this study focused specifically on the college context, where a secure sense of belonging has been linked to positive outcomes such as improved academic performance and better mental health.
While prior studies have explored the connection between students’ demographic traits and their sense of belonging, few have delved into the relationship between personality traits and this crucial aspect of the college experience.
To address this gap, Stubblebine and her team analyzed survey data from 4,753 first-year college students across 12 different institutions in the U.S. and Canada. The surveys assessed each student’s sense of belonging and their levels of extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism – collectively known as “the Big Five” personality traits.
Statistical analysis revealed that students with higher levels of extroversion or agreeableness were more likely to experience a heightened sense of belonging after their first year at college. Conversely, those with greater neuroticism tended to report a lower sense of belonging.
Interestingly, students who were less neurotic, less open, and more extroverted were more likely to be enrolled in larger colleges. For students attending larger institutions, the link between extroversion and a sense of belonging was more pronounced compared to their counterparts in smaller schools.
The study’s insights not only deepen our understanding of the intricate relationship between personality traits and a sense of belonging but also underscore the potential impact of school size. The authors advocate for further research to explore additional factors, such as race and ethnicity, that may influence these relationships and to consider other school characteristics beyond size. Such investigations could inform targeted efforts by schools to help students, with diverse personalities and backgrounds, cultivate a sense of belonging and flourish during their college experience.
The authors conclude, “This study reveals that students who were more agreeable and more extroverted tended to have higher belonging in college, especially in big schools, and students who were more neurotic had lower belonging in college. Contrary to common assumptions, openness to new ideas and conscientiousness were found to be unrelated to students’ feelings of belonging.”
