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Running Head: Roommate Relationship
Interpersonal Communication:
How Similarity Impacts Roommate Relationship Satisfaction of College Students?
Qianhui Miao
University of Kentucky
April 15th 2014
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Running Head: Roommate Relationship
Abstract
Previous research has shown that having great similarity between college roommates can
significantly contribute to satisfaction of student’s living experience on campus. This study takes
a close look at how similarities of personality, attractiveness, communication traits and cultural
backgrounds can affect roommate’s relationship satisfaction. The research was made based on
various literature reviews and previous experiments that were conducted by other scholars. Of
course, these are not the only factors that cause negative or positive impacts on roommate
relationship satisfaction. The study concluded other possibilities that can lead to conflicts within
roommate relationships. Finally, this study provides some suggestions for students of
competence in interpersonal communication with their roommate and understanding of diversity.
The aim of this study is to help students to better understand the relational dynamic of
interpersonal communication between roommates and help to build positive diverse dorm
environment on campus.
Running Head: Roommate Relationship
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People form relationships for different reasons. For example, we would like to make
friends who are similar to us, who we can talk to, who can understand us, and who we admire.
Sometimes we form relationships because we don not have a choice, such as business
relationship with clients, or relationship with families. College students, who are assigned to live
together without their knowledge, initially form relationships because of the proximity--they
have to frequently interact with each other. Some relationships might breakdown during the
semester; others tend to form friendships with each other. Facts like these are understandable,
because living together allows us to get know each other better and have more chances to interact
(Alder, 2007).
Roommate relationship significantly impacts students' living quality on campus. One
report conducted by Leila Hawken and Robert Duran reveals the roommate relationship has
more or less influence on student academic success and social life. Some scholars also think that
the effects of roommate relationships might cause negative effects and may results in alienation
(Marek, 2004). This research aims to measure what are factors that affect the quality and
satisfaction of roommate relationship in college student and how roommate relationship
contribute to students college life.
The first factor is similarity. In any kind of relationship, similarity is important to
relational happiness (Alder, 2007).
Similar roommate pairs tend to form high-quality
relationships and are satisfied with their dorm life. Carli and Ganley in their study of similarity in
roommate relationships surveyed 67 pairs of randomly assigned college roommates about their
similarity and satisfaction. The questionnaire determined their attractiveness, personality, selfsatisfaction, and similarity rating. The result shows that students seemed to be more satisfied
with roommates who had equal attractiveness with them. When individuals view themselves as
Running Head: Roommate Relationship
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having more attractive characteristics or a more likable personality it seems to cause conflict and
dissatisfactions of another one. With equal attractiveness; less attractive pairs tend to have more
moderate relationship than those attractive pairs. Even though attractive people are considered
to be more likeable, people do not prefer relationship with very attractive individuals, because
they are considered "risky."(Carli, 1991.) The result also reveals that similarity of personality can
help roommates to build more enduring and satisfying relationship. Roommates have similar
personalities and interests are more likely to engage in similar activities and participate in them
together.
Other research conducted by Martin and Anderson studied the similarity of roommate in
communication traits. In this research, communication traits of willingness to communicate,
interpersonal communication competence, and verbal aggressiveness were especially considered.
This study surveyed 203 college students measuring their general communication behaviors and
traits and their feelings about their roommates. The results show that roommates who are similar
in willingness to communicate and communication competence express more satisfaction with
and liking for their roommate. But the result is not so obvious in similarity of verbal
aggressiveness. Martin and Anderson estimated that if both roommates had equal high verbal
aggressiveness but different perspective on one thing, their communication might generate
conflicts (Martin, 1995).
Another crucial factor that impacts roommate relationship satisfaction is cultural
background. Cultural background can significantly determine similarities between two people.
Religions, ethnic background differences, small town vs. big city, or communication habits
might roots dissatisfactions. Two people who have similar cultural background can more easily
communicate with and understand each other. Intercultural communication, on the other hand,
Running Head: Roommate Relationship
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requires high communicative competence and open-minds to achieve roommate relationship
satisfaction. A communication study conducted by Petrulo in his senior project showed that 19 of
32 students who were matched with intercultural roommates reported experiencing cultural
conflict (Petrulo, 2012). Another study made to compare interracial and same-race living
situations of college students reveals that, interracial roommate relationships were more likely to
dissolve than same-race roommates (Shook, 2008). The reason is prospected to be having
anxiety and lack of perceived commonality. However, the result of this study reveals that after
experiencing an interracial living situation, African American students tended to do better in
interracial communication. On the other hand, automatically activated racial attitudes improved
over time among students in interracial rooms, but not among students in same-race rooms. This
result suggests that interracial roommate matching can generate benefits among college students.
Other personal reasons are also involved in building roommate relationships. Surprisingly,
when two friends become roommate and know more about each other, then they tend to see
themselves as the more attractive one. This competitive phenomenon developed in close
relationships can often drive the twp people apart. Other reasons that cause dissatisfaction could
bee to the vast knowledge of each other, and other unknown personal details rise to the surface
(Petrulo, 2012). The survey that investigates conflicts between roommates reported that 37% of
conflicts come from cleaning, 26% from dishes, 19% from friends or relationships, and 16%
from partying (Petrulo, 2012). Another research developed by Pino suggested that computer
mediated communication could more or less undermine roommate satisfaction due to spending
too much time online instead of interacting with roommates.
Overall, factors that impact roommate relationships could be various. This study only
conducted the role of similarity in building roommate relationships. Similarity in personality,
Running Head: Roommate Relationship
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attractiveness, and communication traits are crucial in forming positive roommate relationships.
Cultural differences might generate more conflicts if negative stereotypes about the other race
are involved. However, the situation could be improved through positive attitude and
communication competence. Improvement of communicative competence is the general idea to
help students build a satisfying dorm environment. If students can handle situations and conflicts
with roommates, they can avoid negative effects on academic and other social lives. Moreover,
individuals can gain benefits from learning how to build interpersonal relationships with
roommate as with other kinds of relationships.
This study was conducted only basing on prior research and literature reviews. That
research has different focal points and directions. Also, the number of literature reviews is
limited; this might lead to inaccurate conclusions of this study. These factors can affect accuracy
and objectiveness of this study. The implication for future research then needs to be clearer and
focus. Overall, this research is to show discovery of similarity as a crucial factor in roommate
relationship in order to help college student better understand and deal with their roommates.
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Running Head: Roommate Relationship
References
Adler, R.B. & Proctor, R.F. (2007) Looking Out Looking In. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cenage
Carli, L., Roseanne G., & Amy P. (1991.) Similarity and Satisfaction in Roommate Relationships.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 419
Hawken, L., Robert D., & Lynne K. (1991). The Relationship of Interpersonal Communication
Variables to Academic Success and Persistence In College. Communication Quarterly,
39 (4), 297-308.
Learning.
Marek, C., Melissa W., & Jennifer K. (2004.) An Exploratory Investigation of the Relationship
Between Roommates' First Impressions and Subsequent Communication Patterns.
Communication Research Reports. 21(2). 210-220
Martin, M. & Carolyn A. (1995.) Roommate Similarity: Are roommates who are similar in their
communication traits more satisfied? Communication Research Report 12(1). 46-52
Pertrulo, L. (2012) Communication Skill development in the college living space: nurture vs.
nature? Communication in College.
Shook, N., & Russell F. (2008) Interracial Roommate Relationships: An experimental Field test
of the Contact Hypothesis. Psychological Science 19 (7). 717