CAPS blog #6

Interpreting the Definition of the Similarity Principle

         First I want to start by defining exactly what the similarity principle is and what some examples are.  According to the text similarity principle is defined as an attraction to others who we perceive to be similar to ourselves, and evidence indicates that this principle works for many cultural groups (Martin & Nakayama, 2009).  This makes perfect sense when I thought about it because when we look for personal relationships with others we look for things in common with that person such as spiritual, moral, or religious qualities.  After reading this, I thought about my own personal relationships in my life and I always tried to do this same thing.  I think this was mainly because I wanted to feel comfortable around that person and having things in common had always made this easier.

            This concept can be related to intercultural communications because relationships that we engage in are centered on our communication with others.  A very important part of our lives as human beings is finding someone that we can have an intimate relationship with.  It makes sense that we would definitely look for the similarity principle in the other person to make ourselves feel more comfortable as a part of the relationship.  Some people also believe that “opposites attract” and don’t look for a lot of the same qualities in a relationship partner.  Personally I have always tried to look for similar qualities in my intimate partner mainly because it makes me feel more comfortable within the relationship when I can share personal qualities and traits with my partner.

           Now that I know what similarity principle means I fully understand why certain people choose to look for similarities in their relationship partners.  This tactic tends to make people more comfortable and relaxed when around their partner.  This will change my perspective on this because now I will be fully aware of what people have to do in order to find that special someone when the time comes in their life.

Reference Page

Martin, Judith N. & Nakayama, Thomas K. (2009).  Intercultural Communication In        

Contexts: Fifth Edition. McGraw Hill Companies. pp. 390-391

•  This video explains a few tactics on dealing with relationships across intercultural boundaries.