Having a roommate can create disruption for everyone residing in the residence, and makes it difficult for each student to concentrate on the main purpose of going to college. To understand why complications occur between roommates a study about how to pair new students together was researched. In the article ‘Differences in personality type and roommate compatibility as predicates of roommate conflict’ there were three different hypotheses tested among 20 males and 18 females whom were all first-year students. During the study researchers combined different types of ways to measure roommate preferences.
When looking among the ways to evaluate roommates compatibility with each other, previous studies had shown the (MBTI) was decreasing the number of roommate changes. The MBTI was not so popular with relations between male roommates. In this study measures of ‘living habits and personal preferences’ (king 1997) will be tallied according to developers of this study. The three hypotheses used for this study were; the personally compatibility hypothesis, the preference similarity hypothesis and the ideal preference hypothesis.
The personality compatibility hypothesis suggests that pairing roommates with different personality types, according to their MBTI score they will have more conflict. The preference similarity hypothesis states that roommates with different living patterns and normality’s have a higher chance of room changes. The ideal preference hypothesis, tells us two different ways how to measure the way a roommate perceives his or her roommate and how they really are. This hypothesis shares how someone can compare the description of their current roommate and what they originally wanted from a roommate.
Introversion-extroversion, sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling and judging-perceiving. These four scales are what authors of this study used to place people into sixteen different groups. Researches also used form G of the MBTI. A system created by Yeakley (1982; 1983) scored similar personality types. Another tool used by researched was the roommate compatibility questionnaires. By rewriting some words to focus less on negative assumptions and more on preferences and regular behaviors.
When calculating all of the data, formulas for each score were created to find the end results. After collecting all of the data from each student, researchers had to fill in gaps and used regression procedures to identify which index is best for the roommate conflict questionnaire. Researchers used models which analyzed different variables from gender to differences in scores. When discovering the scores of each test and comparing them together researchers were able to eliminate which hypothesis worked best.
The tests gave good results and the study was able to give great detailed answers for how to better partnering up roommates. Down the road taking a MBTI test could help match you with a similar roommate, but for now this study found that pairing roommates that have close ideas about what an ideal roommate is. This solution about placing to roommates together based on their preferences and not how much he or she has in common personality wise. The suggested solution only has a higher possibility of working if the roommates have an idea of what type of roommate they would want to live with.
By further continuing research about roommates with students who have had a roommate before, more approaches could be done and more solutions would be made available. Evaluation The researchers of this study made it very difficult to read the formulas and instruments used in this article. Because of all different types of procedures and hypothesis, this article seemed dull and uninteresting at times. When reading this article it felt as if two people were writing it. Maybe someone with more writing experience, like during the discussion and conclusions.
When reading those two parts in this article it was easier to understand and focus on what the main goal of the study was. While reading the discussion paragraph the author seemed to keep it simple at times, but still added all the detail to fully understand what the study did and how all results were measured. At times this study felt like it was a male against female roommate study. During the discussion portion of the article it states that ‘…suggestion that gender differences exist in the way roommate relationships are perceived and negotiated. (Fuller&hall) So for the research making it two different studies might have helped. The constant going back and forth of men coming up with lower or higher scores then women is what made some confusion at times. While reading the conclusions the author laid out the results of this study in the first sentence. Keeping to point and using all of the information the researchers used to show the reader how conflicts can be better resolved and which hypothesis worked out better. The conclusion part of the essay was the most enjoyable reading because the readers get to evaluate what theory they might have had.
In this article the author placed two different tables. Table one was to show the readers ‘means and standard deviations of independent and dependent variables’ (Fuller&Hall). In table two the information given was about the ‘correlation matrix for the independent and dependent variables’. While reading over the information and then coming across these two charts, it didn’t help understand what researchers were discussing. Charts and tables should make understanding data and comparing numbers easier, but these two tables did neither.
This article was easy to read at times, but keeping most readers interested at all times might be a struggle. Readers who have a better knowledge or have done research of their own might better understand what this study is doing and trying to accomplish. For readers that don’t know what the MBTI test is or how to read formulas this article might not be in the best interest for you to read. Application I think that all incoming freshmen in any college that have dorms or living quarters should make the new students read this article and write a page paper about it.
I think the schools would benefit from having their students do this after they have taken any test or placement questionnaires to show the students that this is a real struggle placing roommates together. I think the researchers might have over looked this study, they went into so many little details that I think they missed some of the bigger things. I am speaking for my friends who have moved into the dorms and have had a great roommate or someone who reports them all the time and doesn’t agree with how they live.
I think colleges need to have a basic test, nothing over the top just a simple placement test that gives the basics but also alarms the school of anything serious. Future research should focus more on female roommates. From talking with my friends, girls are the ones who always seem to have the most trouble. Somehow boys just live with who they are paired with and make a change for the next year. Girls on the other hand are much more difficult and needy. Personally I wish I had a roommate, I just graduated from high school in May and moved out on my own in June.
Having a roommate gives you a sense of responsibility, ether because someone is there watching you and seeing what habits you have or lack. Also leaving a family and out on your own is completely different, you have no one to welcome you home, chores are all on you and cooking a meal is almost impossible. I think having roommates are a great thing and it is nice for people to meet someone new and experience college together. Over all I thought this article was informing and knowledgeable. I learned what to look for if I do look for a roommate and what to avoid.
