Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation

Degree Name

Psychology, PhD

Program

School of Social Science, Politics, and Evaluation

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Gloria González-Morales

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Anna Woodcock

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

P. Wesley Schultz

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2025 Ashley Bonilla

Keywords

Belonging, Communal goals, Identity, STEM

Subject Categories

Psychology

Abstract

This dissertation explores the relational pathways influencing STEM identity and belonging for historically marginalized groups (HMGs) and women in STEM. This dissertation integrates Relational Theory, Self-Construal Theory, and Universal Human to extend conceptualizations and operationalizations of communal goals within STEM fields, each contributing a unique perspective. Through two studies using narrative manipulations that distinguish communal goals as either helping-focused or growth-in-connection-focused, this dissertation examines their effects on STEM identity, sense of belonging, and goal mismatch perceptions. The pilot study (Study 1) aimed to develop a more comprehensive measure of communal goals, to validate the narrative manipulations, and to test whether growth-in-connection narratives more effectively enhanced perceptions of communal goal affordances in STEM than those emphasizing helping. Using data from Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the Goal Endorsement Scale, revealed a three-factor structure encompassing communal goals, personal agentic goals, and professional agentic goals, informing the refinement of the measure for Study 2. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided partial validation of the structure, though model fit remained suboptimal, highlighting the complexity of agentic and communal goals. Study 2 tested whether growth-in-connection narratives improved STEM identity and belonging more than other narrative types. Results revealed no significant differences in STEM identity, sense of belonging, or communal goal mismatch across conditions. However, Hispanic gender minorities reported significantly lower sense of belonging than Hispanic men, suggesting that agentic framings negatively impact these individuals. Qualitative analyses emphasized how growth-in-connection narratives fostered collaboration and connection, while helping narratives emphasized external impact and agentic narratives focused primarily on technical problem-solving. These findings suggest growth-in-connection narratives may benefit specific groups like Hispanic gender minorities, even if they do not significantly enhance STEM identity or belonging at the group level. Communal narratives benefitted these underrepresented groups without negatively impacting majority groups. This research contributes to efforts to broaden the definition of success in STEM, highlighting how communal aspects of STEM work may be effective in promoting diversity and inclusivity in STEM environments.

ISBN

9798314899762

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