College, roommates, and cohabitation: An understanding of roommate relationships, stress, and coping as explained through the transactional model of stress and coping
Although previous studies have been conducted regarding social support as it relates to stress and coping, little research exists to explain that relationship within the context of cohabitation specifically, roommate relationships on college campuses. Using the transactional model of stress and coping, social support within the roommate relationship was examined as it pertains to coping and outcomes. While this model is rooted in psychology and has been explored in public health contexts, the literature surrounding the importance of communication in this model is lacking. Moreover, the effect of social support as a mediator for coping was analyzed in the original path model. Participants (N = 303) from undergraduate communication courses at a southwestern university completed a variety of self-report survey items to determine dispositional coping, stressor appraisal, social support, coping efforts, and outcomes such as relationship quality, academic performance, physical well-being, and academic satisfaction as an overall result. Based on initial analyses finding the hypothesized model to not fit well, a rival model was proposed where coping was the mediating variable, which the data fit better. Results indicate that while stress in the roommate relationship affects the quality of that relationship, it has no effect on physical well-being, academic performance, and academic satisfaction. Implications for theory and practice are presented.
