Abstract
Black students navigate diverse institutional contexts that shape their psychological and social experiences in higher education. The current study examined differences in anxiety, sense of belonging, and the pressure to code switch among Black women attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) vs. Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Participants (N = 180) completed surveys assessing anxiety, sense of belonging and the pressure to code switch. Results from the independent samples t-tests did not support the hypothesized difference in anxiety across institutional contexts. However, findings indicated that students attending HBCUs reported higher levels of sense of belonging t(178) = 3.49, p < .001, d = 0.70, whereas students attending PWIs reported greater pressure to code switch t(178) = 2.33, p = .021, d = 0.47. Further research is needed to explore how campus climate and racial representation influence psychological wellbeing and behavioral adaptation in higher education settings, but the current data suggest that Black women who attend culturally affirming spaces such as an HBCU will have lower anxiety and less pressure to code switch than those who attend PWI spaces.
Advisor
Scheibe, Dan
Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Corley, Iyana, "Code-Switching or Connecting? Social Settings and Black Women’s Sense of Belonging" (2026). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 13268.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/13268
Disciplines
Psychology
Keywords
Black women, code switching, anxiety, sense of belonging
Publication Date
2026
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2026 Iyana Corley