Satisfaction and closeness in same- and cross-national college roommate relationships: What similarity matters?

Living with a cross-national roommate provides unique opportunities for college students to engage in cross-cultural learning and to form meaningful intercultural relationships. However, little is known about the challenges faced by college students in building a successful cross-national roommate relationship. Based on the similarity hypothesis, this study examined whether or not perceived dissimilarities in living habits or attitudes toward college life accounted for discrepancies between same- and cross-national roommate pairs' closeness and satisfaction with their roommate relationships. Structural equation modelling with survey data from 479 students (66.4 % female; 13.6 % international students; 17 % with a cross-national roommate) living in on-campus residence halls in a large university in the US showed that college students experiencing cross-national roommate relationships perceived more dissimilarities in living habits and attitudes toward college life than those living with same-nationals, which in turn related to lower levels of roommate satisfaction and/or roommate closeness. However, when perceived dissimilarities along with other variables (including gender, roommate's study participation status, and roommate assignment method) were controlled, they reported no less satisfaction and even higher levels of closeness than those living with same-national roommates. Findings suggest that the benefits of cross-national affiliations in college residence halls are more likely to occur if educators and staff can help students prepare for and manage perceptions of differences, especially in living habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]