Belonging Begins Here: Exploring Belongingness, Adversity, and Rapport in Introductory Psychology

Abstract

Student–instructor rapport has been consistently linked to positive student outcomes including increased class attendance, motivation to learn, and deeper cognitive engagement. However, less is known about how students’ prior exposure to trauma may shape their rapport with instructors and sense of belongingness within the classroom. The present study examined relationships among adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), course-level belongingness, student–instructor rapport, and perceived cognitive learning outcomes within introductory psychology courses at the Community College of Baltimore County. Results indicated that students who reported higher levels of rapport with their instructor also reported significantly greater course belongingness and higher levels of perceived cognitive learning. Additionally, female students reported significantly stronger rapport with their instructor than male students. Among ACEs, students who reported experiencing verbal abuse demonstrated significantly higher levels of both belongingness and perceived cognitive learning compared to students who did not report verbal abuse; no other ACEs were significantly associated with the outcome variables. Only the relationship between ACEs (verbal abuse) and perceived cognitive learning survived a Bonferroni post-hoc correction. These findings highlight the central role of instructor–student relationships in fostering belonging and learning in introductory courses and suggest that certain trauma histories may interact with classroom dynamics in complex ways. Future research should further investigate the mechanisms through which exposure to verbal abuse influences student–faculty rapport and course belongingness.