The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 46, No. 3 - 51

Microaggressions, Sense of Belonging, and Sexual Identity in the Residential Environment

regarding how they selected/were assigned
housing and the type of housing they had lived
in over the past year (Blackmon, 2018).
The current study used two linear regressions to answer the first of the two research
questions: What influence does the perception
of being targeted by LGBQ microaggressions
within the residential context have on students'
sense of belonging? In these regressions,
sense of belonging, as measured by the PSUM,
was the response (dependent variable) in both
regressions. The predictor (independent variable) was microaggressions as measured by
the LGBQ Microaggressions on Campus Scale,
with the first regression focusing on the interpersonal subscale and the second on the environmental subscale. Analysis of covariance
(ANCOVA) was used to answer the second research question: To what degree does students'
sexual identity development moderate the
influence of the perception of being targeted
by LGBQ microaggressions within the residential context on their sense of belonging?
These analyses explored if sexual identity development, as assessed by the MoSIEC (factor),
moderated the relationship between sense of
belonging, as measured by the PSUM (dependent variable), and the perception of being
targeted by LGBQ microaggressions, as measured by the Interpersonal and Environmental
subscales of the LGBQ Microaggressions on
Campus scale (covariates).

RESULTS
Using linear regression and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), researchers examined the
relationship between student perceptions of
being targeted by sexual orientation microaggressions in residential environments, their

sense of belonging, and individual sexual
identity among LGBQ students. Reliability
and correlational analysis showed that the instruments used in this study had similar observed reliability to their original instrument
development (a  = .77 - .94).  Correlational analysis showed a significant positive correlation
between interpersonal and environmental microaggressions scales (r = .672); a significant
negative correlation between sense of belonging and interpersonal microaggressions scales
(r = .282); and a significant negative correlation between sense of belonging and environmental microaggressions scales (r = .322).
However, sexual identity development, as measured by the MoSIEC, yielded a nonsignificant
correlation to the other scales used in the study.

As students' perceptions of
being targeted by interpersonal
or environmental LGBQ
microaggressions increased, their
sense of belonging decreased.

The influence of perception being targeted
by LGBQ microaggressions within a residential context on students' sense of belonging
was analyzed using two linear regressions.
Two separate regressions were conducted
based on the recommendation from the LGBQ
Microaggressions on Campus scale's developers (Woodford, Chonody, et al., 2015) and the
significant correlation between the two sub-

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 46, No. 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 46, No. 3
