Research paper
Baumeister RF, Leary MR. The need to belong: desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychol Bull. 1995 May;117(3):497-529. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Why we cite it
Theoretical paper (Landmark removed 2026-09-10 as a ranking) proposing that the need to belong is a fundamental human motivation. The belongingness hypothesis specifies that humans need frequent, nonaversive interactions within an ongoing relational bond. The hypothesis ”is evaluated in light of the empirical literature”: ”Consistent with the belongingness hypothesis, people form social attachments readily under most conditions and resist the dissolution of existing bonds” (corrected 2026-09-10 from ”evaluates extensive empirical evidence showing”). Belongingness ”appears to have” multiple and strong effects on emotional patterns and cognitive processes (hedge restored 2026-09-10). Lack of attachments is linked to 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” (corrected 2026-09-10 from a sentence defining satiation and substitution and concluding they support ”a true need rather than a preference”: Extracted knowledge marked those words as this library’s on the same day, and this section still stated them). Referenced by 4 companion pages as at 2026-09-02 (this read 2 until then) (4 references, one further-reading line on each of pages 384, 389, 399 and 442, and no knowledge file; re-measured 2026-09-10, when ”2 total references” was found stale).
DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497 · PubMed 7777651 · Publisher