Similarity-Attraction Effect

 BLOG #7- Similarity-Attraction Effect, November 27th, 2024

As I’ve mentioned in other blogs, moving to university was a pretty scary experience for me. Coming from a small town in Newfoundland, I’d been friends with the same twelve girls my whole life. The thing that brought us so close was our shared childhood. So, when I arrived at St. Francis Xavier University, I was excited but definitely nervous about meeting new people and building a new friend group. My best friend Maggie, who also came from Newfoundland and shares those same friends with me, joked in our first year that our goal was to "replicate" our friend group from home. At the time, it felt like such a silly, impossible idea.

Fast forward four years, and somehow, I’ve managed to find twelve amazing friends here at StFX. What’s wild is how similar they are to my friends back home. When my university friends came to Newfoundland, it was like magic—everyone clicked instantly like they’d known each other forever. It felt almost too perfect. For example, Amelia from home, who loves singing, reminds me so much of Emma at school, who sings with me all the time. Julianna’s love for exploring is just like Caroline Ryan’s passion for hiking and the outdoors. And Catou, who’s creative and loves video games, is basically the StFX version of Reegan.

It’s not just a coincidence—it’s the similarity-attraction effect at work. We’re naturally drawn to people who are like us, whether it’s in interests, personality, or values. All those little connections I’ve made with my friends at home—like singing with Amelia, going on late-night adventures with Caroline, or playing games with Reegan—helped me find the same kind of connections here at StFX. It’s proof that no matter where you go, you’ll always find your people.

 

Looking back, it’s comforting to realize how natural it is to find connections wherever you go. At first, I was worried that leaving home meant leaving behind the deep bonds I’d built with my friends. But now I see that those friendships weren’t just a part of my life—they shaped who I am and helped me recognize and form new connections here at StFX. Moving forward, I feel reassured knowing that no matter where life takes me next, the people I meet will always reflect pieces of what’s important to me. It’s not about replacing old friendships but building on them and carrying those shared values into new ones.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Love Language Cross-Culturally

Image
  BLOG #8- Love Language Cross-Culturally- November 28th, 2024 Love languages are a popular topic on social media these days—basically, the idea that everyone has their own way of expressing love in a romantic relationship. Whether it’s physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, or gifts, we all have our preferred way of both giving and receiving love. It’s a pretty interesting concept, but now that I’ve been studying cultural psychology, it makes me think about how these love languages might actually reflect the culture we’re a part of. Heine’s (2016) book on cultural psychology discusses how culture shapes how we view and interact with the world, including how we approach romantic relationships. He talks about three main elements that differentiate what I’ll call “love language” across cultures: Passion, Intimacy, and Commitment. For instance, in Western cultures, things like physical touch and words of affirmation might be seen as essential to expressin...
Read more

How University Influenced My Sense of Self

Image
BLOG #6- How University Influenced My Sense of Self- November 25th, 2024 As my university career comes to an end and I prepare to tackle post-graduate opportunities, a heavy feeling weighs on my heart. Coming to St. Francis Xavier University was about more than academics—it was about independence, building a new life, forming new friendships, and stepping out of my comfort zone by moving from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia. The person I was when I first stepped onto the StFX campus is entirely different from the person now preparing to take a leap beyond this small, familiar community. Looking back at how much I’ve grown over these past years fills me with both pride and nervousness. I love the person I am today, but the thought of who I might become after university brings its own anxieties. How have I changed so much already? And how much more will I change? My identity is shaped by both independent and interdependent views of self. When I first arrived at university, I was focused on d...
Read more

Pedagogical Communication

Image
BLOG #3- Pedagogical Communication- September 22nd, 2024 Have you ever looked around and wondered how we, as humans, learn and pass down our culture in ways that seem so unique compared to other species? Tomasello's (2016) work emphasizes how humans engage in cultural learning through social interactions, particularly the role of authoritative figures in teaching. Pedagogical communication, discussed by Tomasello, is the deliberate and organized method of sharing knowledge and information between individuals, which can be seen in children, where authority figures, such as adults, impart cultural knowledge to children.  Pedagogical communication is a key component of how humans learn and can help answer many questions regarding the uniqueness of human culture. For the purpose of this blog, I will share my perspective as a university student to explain the topic of pedagogical communication in a more relatable way. University students use pedagogical communication frequently, inside ...
Read more