The involvement of Felt Inclusion, Climate for Inclusion and Effort in the possible relationship between Dissimilarity and Academic Performance

Abstract

This study investigated how perceived dissimilarity relates to academic performance and if felt inclusion and effort are mediating this relationship. In addition, the moderating role of the climate for inclusion on the relationship between dissimilarity and felt inclusion has been examined. The survey-data of 131 students of veterinary medicine has been analyzed. To test the hypothesis of the moderated serial mediation model, a PROCESS analysis has been conducted. The analysis showed that perceived dissimilarity did not relate to objective academic performance. Interestingly, perceived dissimilarity did relate to subjective academic performance through the mediation of felt inclusion. Furthermore, the analysis showed that perceived dissimilarity negatively relates to felt inclusion within the academic setting and that the climate for inclusion buffered this relationship. Felt inclusion, in turn, did positively relate to both objective and subjective academic performance. This research improves our understanding on the relationship between perceived dissimilarity and academic performance, on how dissimilarity affects felt inclusion and how felt inclusion affects academic performance.