AFFINITY STRATEGIES IN RELATIONSHIPS - THE ROLE OF GENDER AND IMAGINED INTERACTIONS IN MAINTAINING LIKING AMONG COLLEGE ROOMMATES

Affinity-seeking behavior among college roommates was examined to inve stigate how individuals sustain the relationship. Planning for affinit y maintenance was examined in terms of covert dialogues based on the l iterature on imagined interactions (IIs) in which individuals rehearse anticipated encounters while reviewing prior conversations. A series of hypotheses and research questions were posed examining gender diffe rences and self-talk with roommates in terms of predicting roommate af finity. The association between IIs and affinity-maintenance strategie s was examined. Results reveal differences between male and female roo mmate dyads in terms of strategy usage, particularly those reflecting an orientation to the other's needs. Strategies reflecting other-invol vement emerged as significant predictors of affinity.