Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Karen Kochel

Abstract

Humans have a fundamental need to belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). A lack of belonging is associated with negative mental health outcomes, making it important to study student belonging in higher education (Strayhorn, 2019). Classroom-based relationships with professors and peers positively impact students' belonging (Tinto, 1993). The purpose of this study was to evaluate: the relative contribution of professor trust and peer interactions to classroom and university belonging, and to assess the associations between student belonging and internalizing symptoms. Survey data were collected via Qualtrics in September 2025 (baseline) and December 2025 from students in 32 first-year seminars participating in The WEB Project: a classroom-based intervention designed to promote a culture of student belonging at the University of Richmond. Results from a series of regression analyses showed that professor trust and peer interactions made comparable contributions to classroom belonging, but only peer interactions were predictive of university belonging. Furthermore, classroom belonging and university belonging were predictive of internalizing symptoms when controlling for prior internalizing symptoms. Lastly, I found that professor trust and peer interactions were not predictive of internalizing symptoms. These findings extend our understanding of the importance of professor and peer interactions in regards to student belonging, and suggest that universities should devote more resources to fostering positive classroom interactions between students, their professors, and their classmates.

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