Abstract: Sensitivity about being the Target of a Threatening Upward Comparison (STTUC; Exline & Lobel, 1999) is the discomfort that may arise when people succeed while sensing that their success upsets others. Does STTUC in female undergraduates predict relatively low interest in pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) coursework? The present study involved a diverse online sample (N = 799) of female undergraduates who completed a measure of the tendency to experience STTUC. They were then randomly assigned to complete measures of interest in, identification with, and sense of belonging regarding either STEM or Arts/Humanities. Results revealed that, as predicted, the tendency to experience STTUC correlated negatively with belongingness in STEM. Participants also reported lower mean levels of belongingness for STEM than for Arts/Humanities. Taken together with previous research showing that belongingness predicts women's persistence in STEM, these findings suggest that women who feel outperformance-related discomfort may experience a relatively low sense of belonging in STEM, which, in turn, may predict withdrawal from STEM pursuits. __________________________________ Erika Koch, Ph.D.