Adulthood relocation: implications for personality, future orientation, and social partner choices
1Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P. O. Box 112250, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. cskoenig@com-tech.net
Experimental Aging Research
|May 2, 2001
Summary
Individuals who relocate often exhibit higher openness to experience and future orientation. Age influences relocation reasons, from employment for younger adults to family proximity for older adults.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Understanding migration patterns is crucial for demographic and social planning.
- Individual motivations and characteristics influence residential mobility decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons behind residential relocation.
- To compare individuals who relocate (relocaters) with those who do not (residents) across demographic, social, and personality factors.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 100 participants across three age groups (34-46, 54-66, 69-93 years).
- Participants were categorized as relocaters or residents based on their duration of stay.
- Data collected included demographic information, social network size, and personality assessments.
Main Results:
- Relocaters and residents showed no significant differences in age, income, health, or marital status.
- Relocation reasons varied by age group: employment (young/middle-aged), retirement (young-old), and proximity to family (older adults).
- Relocaters, particularly older ones, scored higher on Openness to Experience and future orientation, and selected more social partners.
Conclusions:
- Personality traits, specifically Openness to Experience and future orientation, may predict relocation behavior.
- Age-specific factors significantly influence the motivations for residential relocation.
- While demographic factors are similar, personality differences highlight individual predispositions to relocation.
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