The Brilliance–Belonging Model: How Cultural Beliefs About Intellectual Ability Undermine Educational Equity

Abstract

As societies worldwide grapple with substantial educational inequities, understanding their underlying causes remains a priority. Here, we introduce the Brilliance–Belonging Model, a novel theoretical framework that illuminates how cultural beliefs about exceptional intellectual ability create inequities through their impact on students’ sense of belonging. The model identifies two types of widespread cultural beliefs about ability: field-specific ability beliefs (FABs) and brilliance stereotypes. FABs are cultural beliefs about the extent to which success in an educational context requires exceptional intellectual ability or “brilliance” (e.g., math more so than language). In contrast, brilliance stereotypes are cultural beliefs that associate exceptional intellectual ability with some groups more than others (e.g., individuals from high vs. low socioeconomic status backgrounds). According to the Brilliance–Belonging Model, students from groups targeted by negative brilliance stereotypes are perceived—by themselves and others—as not belonging in contexts where brilliance-oriented FABs are common. These perceptions compromise students’ psychological safety and lead to disempowering treatment by others, resulting in persistent gaps in achievement and representation. Such effects are amplified by the competitive climates to which brilliance-oriented FABs give rise, where pressure to demonstrate intellectual superiority creates particular challenges for students from intellectually stigmatized groups, who often value cooperation over competition. By revealing how cultural beliefs about intellectual ability shape educational outcomes through their effects on belonging, the Brilliance–Belonging Model provides a roadmap for interventions aimed at fostering a sustained sense of belonging among diverse students.