More than just belonging? Uniqueness’ role in inclusion experiences

Abstract

Inclusion experiences are central to an individual’s well-being, but when do individuals feel included? Does it suffice to belong to the larger group (e.g., a work team or society), or do individuals also need to feel unique within that group, as optimal distinctiveness research would suggest? In this paper, we examine whether feeling unique improves an individual’s well-being beyond belonging only. Two correlational studies with Europe-based employees (N = 292, N = 295) show that uniqueness explains well-being when controlling for belonging. An online experiment from a general sample in the US (N = 666) provides indicative causal evidence that feeling unique improves well-being while holding belonging constant. Together, this research indicates that uniqueness plays a vital role in individuals’ inclusion experiences, such that it improves well-being beyond belonging. However, isolating the two components remains intricate, and we discuss avenues for future research to operationalize the two inclusion needs.