The DOI matches its Crossref record, with a small difference in title or year; 29 of the 29 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Identity, Belonging, and Achievement: A Model, Interventions, Implications
Abstract
In this article we discuss how social or group identities affect achievement. We also present a model of identity engagement that describes how a salient social identity can trigger psychological threat and belonging concerns and how these can produce persistent performance decrements, which through feedback loops can increase over time. The character of such processes may be revealed only over time because they are recursive in nature and interact with other factors in chronically evaluative social environments. Finally, we address how this model helped in the development of successful interventions.
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In the citing paper
“This suggests that it was something about being a member of a poorly performing minority that caused those students to feel that they did not belong in school, a consequence of social identity threat (Cohen & Garcia, 2008) that is strongly associated with academic performance (Anderman, 2003;Easterbrook, Harris, & Sherman, 2020a;Roeser, Midgley, & Urdan, 1996).”
From Tackling Educational Inequalities with Social Psychology: Identities, Contexts, and Interventions (2021) · cites this paper as Cohen & Garcia, 2008
In the citing paper
“These include a reduced or insecure sense of belonging (Cohen & Garcia, 2008;Nieuwenhuis et al., 2019;Rosenthal, Levy, London, Lobel, & Bazile, 2013), dampened motivation (Thoman et al., 2013) and achievement goals (Smith, 2004), increased anxiety, reduced working memory capacity (Spencer et al., 2016), depleted cognitive resources (Lyons et al., 2018), increased stress, defensive coping responses”
From Tackling Educational Inequalities with Social Psychology: Identities, Contexts, and Interventions (2021) · cites this paper as Cohen & Garcia, 2008
In the citing paper
“But in contrast to the lab, in real-world academic and work settings, social identity threat is not acute but chronic (Cohen & Garcia 2008, Garcia & Cohen 2012, Yeager & Walton 2011).”
From The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Cohen & Garcia 2008
In the citing paper
“Stereotype threat can increase women's certainty that they do not belong and undermine their interest in the field (Cohen & Garcia, 2008;Walton & Cohen, 2007).”
From Managing to clear the air: Stereotype threat, women, and leadership (2016) · cites this paper as Cohen & Garcia, 2008
Citations
Cites
The Handbook of Social Psychology
Gravatt, A. E., Lindzey, G. E., & Aronson, F. (1969) · The Family Coordinator · doi:10.2307/582242 · Cited by 12,518
DeLamater, J., & Ward, A. (2013) · Handbooks of sociology and social research · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6772-0 · Cited by 7,590
Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.00995.x · Cited by 3,784
The Psychology of Self-Affirmation: Sustaining the Integrity of the Self
Steele, C. M. (1988) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(08)60229-4 · Cited by 3,697
Contending with group image: The psychology of stereotype and social identity threat
Steele, C. M., Spencer, S. J., & Aronson, J. (2002) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(02)80009-0 · Cited by 2,201
A question of belonging: Race, social fit, and achievement.
Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.1.82 · Cited by 2,163
Self-citationAronson, J., Fried, C. B., & Good, C. (2002) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1006/jesp.2001.1491 · Cited by 1,889
The psychology of self-defense: Self-affirmation theory
Sherman, D. K., & Cohen, G. L. (2006) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(06)38004-5 · Cited by 1,614
Self-citationStereotype Susceptibility: Identity Salience and Shifts in Quantitative Performance
Shih, M., Pittinsky, T. L., & Ambady, N. (1999) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/1467-9280.00111 · Cited by 1,366
Converging evidence that stereotype threat reduces working memory capacity.
Schmader, T., & Johns, M. (2003) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.440 · Cited by 1,201
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 301–324 of 324
LaCosse, J., Donaldson, E. S., Ferreira, T., & Burzo, M. G. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15091249 · Cited by 1
“Psychological research indicates that taking a colorblind approach in which race is ignored can undermine feelings of trust and belonging (Cohen & Garcia, 2008).”
Belonging: The Impact of Assessment and Grading
Miller, K. A., & Merdian, H. L. (2025) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/978-1-80592-242-120251008
Clinical Practice as Contemplative Practice and a Force for Liberation
(2024) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/979-8-88730-501-120251003
Academic Mindset Development at a Hispanic-Serving Institution:
Beltran, E., Masters, B. G., & Rodriguez-Kiino, D. (2020) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/978-1-64802-018-620251012
Nolen, A., & Talbert, T. L. (2021) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/978-1-64802-429-020251011
Cerrito, J. A., & Behun, R. J. (2022) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/978-1-64802-867-020251018
Sbeglia, G. C., & Nehm, R. H. (2020) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.13279908
Cotner, S. H., Jeno, L. M., Walker, J. D., Jørgensen, C., & Vandvik, V. (2020) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.13147142
Zusho, A., & Prieto, D. (2020) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/book-978-1-64802-162-620251005 · Cited by 1
Mejias, M., Wilson, D.-M., Johnson, O. R., Washington, G. J., Stukes, F., Betties, E., Marshall, J., & Kouaho, L.-M. (2025) · Black Issues in Computing Education (BICE) · doi:10.1109/bice66290.2025.00012
Zheng, X., Young, G. A., Woodcock, A., Estrada, M., Schultz, P. W., & Hernandez, P. R. (2026) · Belonging. · doi:10.1177/30290805261444410
“Furthermore, if feelings of devaluation or exclusion persist, individuals may dis-engage or withdraw from these environments (Cohen & Garcia, 2008).”
Parsa, A. (2026) · Health Marketing Quarterly · doi:10.1080/07359683.2026.2687298
Broadening Participation Through the Lens of Person-Environment Fit
Furst‐Holloway, S., Hardcastle, V. G., & Kallen, R. W. (2022) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/979-8-88730-047-420251025
Belluzzo, M., Caceffo, S., Amodeo, A. L., Giaquinto, V., Borrelli, G., Tiscini, G., & Cervini, A. (2026) · Social Psychology of Education · doi:10.1007/s11218-026-10272-4 · Cited by 1
“…school climate (Colvin et al., 2019; Kosciw, 2020), racial and identity-based micro-aggressions (Ogunyemi et al., 2020; Sue et al., 2007), gender diversity and inclusive school practices (APA, 2015; Mulkern et al., 2024; Snapp et al., 2015), and identity-safe classrooms (Cohen & Garcia, 2008).”
Sato, S., Pittet, M., Escasain, L., Gabriel, U., Oakhill, J. V., & Gygax, P. M. (2026) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0354871
“These findings have typically been shown in experimental paradigms where occupational nouns were presented on their own [14,53], or within relatively short texts consisting of two or three sentences [14,28], whereas our study embedded them in longer texts.”
Stereotypes concerning first-generation university students and correlates in higher education
Swietlik, M., Pohlmann, A., Schwinger, M., & Trautner, M. (2026) · Social Psychology of Education · doi:10.1007/s11218-026-10271-5
“For example, members of stigmatized social groups at universi - ties like immigrants report a lower sense of belonging, perceived fit to the academic context, and impaired overall well-being (G. L. Cohen & Garcia, 2008; Froehlich et al., 2023; Martiny & Nikitin, 2019; Walton & Cohen, 2007).”
Gay, A., Bunch, Z., Ahmed, R., Jones, A., Wise, J., Ward, L., & Popova, M. (2026) · Journal of Chemical Education · doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c01720
Uslu, D., Çetinkaya, E., & Kisbu‐Sakarya, Y. (2026) · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/jasp.70091
Torres, H. L., Johnson-Ojeda, V., Hardy, M., & Frey, R. F. (2026) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2026.1825440
Garcia, I., French, L. B., González, G. D. S., & Radzilowicz, J. G. (2026) · Journal of STEM Education Innovations and Research · doi:10.63504/jstem.v27i3.2835
Cinéma Vérité? Australian Film, Young Lebanese-Australian Men, and the Performance of Identity
Thompson, L. (2009) · The Sydney eScholarship Repository (The University of Sydney)
(2013) · Cited by 834
Metadata
- Authors
- Cohen, G. L., & Garcia, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Yale University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cohen, Geoffrey L.
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2008-12
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 365-369
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- OpenAlex
- W1994932571
- Cited by
- 325
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 5.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Career Development and Diversity
- Keywords
- social identity, group identity, achievement, psychological threat, sense of belonging, performance decrement, feedback loops
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