The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2 - 13

Roommate Satisfaction

Interpersonal needs can be expressed through personality traits . . . .For example, roommates who are similar in their communication competence, defined as the ability to express both one’s own feelings and empathy regarding others’ feelings effectively, were more satisfied with one another . Similarity in the appropriateness and amount of selfdisclosure has also been linked to roommate satisfaction .
Research has clearly demonstrated that similarity in at least some communication strategies and some personality traits is related to roommate satisfaction. However, there are no studies that examine the similarity of specific interpersonal needs despite the fact that research in interpersonal communication has established a clear link between similarity of interpersonal needs and relationship satisfaction (Anderson et al., in press). If communication strategies as attempts to meet interpersonal needs are considered, it would be helpful to examine the relationship between these needs and roommate satisfaction. The most common measure of interpersonal needs was derived from Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO) Theory. This theory, and the measurement instrument that resulted from it (for a complete review of the scale’s development, see Schutz,

1958), was developed to help understand the relationship between an individual’s needs in a relationship and various relational outcomes such as predicting team compatibility (Schutz, 1992) and aiding in relationship enhancement programs (Ridley & Sladeczek, 1992). The FIRO scale has been very useful in these contexts in helping managers and partners predict and respond to the needs of their relational partners. However, research has not yet examined the relationship between these particular interpersonal needs and roommate satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between similarity on FIRO elements and roommate satisfaction. The paper will describe the methods used to test this relationship, the major findings, and how these results can be used to aid in the roommate selection process.

METHOD
Participants
Participants included undergraduates enrolled in a small residential liberal arts college in the Midwest. Enrollment of the college is approximately 2,000 students who all live in campusprovided housing. Eighty-five percent of the roommates chose to live with each other, and 15% were assigned randomly to room together. Sixty-seven of the participants were female, and 35 were male. The average age for participants was 20.7 years old (SD = 1.22), and the class composition of the participants included 13 freshmen, 14 sophomores, 20 juniors, and 52 seniors.

Procedure
Participants were recruited from classes and from residential housing. Participants were

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2

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