The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2 - 49

Perceived Social Support and Roommate Status

on the basis of a housing questionnaire that explores preferences about such things as noise
levels or extracurricular activities (McEwan &
Soderberg, 2006). Pairing students as roommates can allow them a chance to immediately
expand their social network, but it is important that care be taken when pairing these students. Pairing them according to interests and
preferred noise level may not match them on
factors that actually predict roommate satisfaction such as the ability to cooperate and communicate (Erlandson, 2009). Because these
early interactions are important in helping students create a social network at college, roommates should be paired with care.

2009). Men have also been shown to cooperate
indiscriminately with other men in a community setting (Benenson et al., 2009).

Perceived Social Support
Students who come from strong support
systems of family and friends are likely to experience lower levels of stress and depression
when compared with those who have weaker
social support systems (Ruthig, Haynes, Stupinsky, & Perry, 2009). Many college students
need the assurance that others are willing to
talk and listen, so they seek support from their
social environment (Chao, 2012). Once they
have secured support in the college environment, they are better able to focus on their

Gender and Loneliness
The relationship between gender and loneliness has been studied extensively within the
social sciences (e.g., Blazina, Settle, & Eddins,
2008; Cramer & Neyedley, 1998), though it is
less researched in emerging adults. Collegeage men report higher levels of loneliness
than do their female counterparts, which may
be due to the fact that culturally based gender
roles teach that young men should not reach
out to same-sex peers for social support (Knox,
Vail-Smith, & Zusman, 2007).
Though males in college tend towards
feeling more loneliness, they are more likely to
be satisﬁed with assigned roommates. Speciﬁcally, men are more likely to be satisﬁed with
their roommates and less bothered by their
roommate's style of social interaction, types
of interests and values, and their hygiene than
women are (Benenson et al., 2009). Evidence
also suggests that, compared to women, men
cooperate better with individuals for lengthier
periods of time, such as living with a roommate or in a residence hall (Benenson et al.,

Though RAs are not able to force
friendships, they can supply
numerous opportunities for
students to engage in social
events. RAs can also supply
them with resources for activities
on campus that may be in their
interest area.

studies and cope with academic demands
(Mattanah, Brooks, Brand, Quimby, & Ayers,
2012). Those who perceive that they have
higher levels of social support may be able to
enjoy greater academic adjustment because
they believe they have the professors, classV O L U M E 4 2 , NO. 2 * 2 0 1 6

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2