WHEN EXPERIENCE COUNTS - THE EFFECTS OF EXPERIENTIAL AND STRUCTURAL SIMILARITY ON PATTERNS OF SUPPORT AND INTERPERSONAL STRESS

Previous research has suggested that individuals benefit from having associates who are similar to themselves on a variety of dimensions. This article develops a theoretical basis for predicting which types of similarity are most important in determining whether associates will be sources of social support or interpersonal stress. Drawing upon theories of homophily and reference groups, we suggest that experiential similarity (e.g., having experienced a similar status transition) is more important than structural similarity (e.g., similarity of age, gender, marital status) in determining sources of emotional support and stress following life events. The theoretical arguments are supported by data from two separate longitudinal studies of social networks following status transitions; specifically, returning to school and becoming the primary caregiver to an elderly parent.