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Published on: October 28, 2020
Residential mobility, self-concept, and positive affect in social interactions
Shigehiro Oishi1, Janetta Lun, Gary D Sherman
1Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlotte, VA 22904-4400, USA. soishi@virginia.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|July 4, 2007
Summary
Frequent movers define themselves by their personal self, while nonmovers focus on their collective self. Social interactions yield greater happiness when partners accurately perceive these distinct self-concepts, highlighting the impact of residential mobility on social well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- Residential mobility, or the frequency of moving homes, is a common life experience.
- Individual differences in self-concept (personal vs. collective self) influence social interactions and emotional well-being.
- Previous research has not directly examined the link between residential mobility history and self-concept, nor its implications for social affect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between personal history of residential mobility and the self-concept.
- To explore how this relationship impacts positive affect during social interactions.
- To provide empirical evidence on individual differences in self-definition and social experiences based on residential mobility.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Assessed the centrality of the personal and collective self in the self-definition of frequent movers and nonmovers.
- Studies 2 & 3: Employed laboratory and 2-week event-sampling methods to examine affect in social interactions.
- Measured the accuracy of interaction partners' perceptions of participants' selves and self-reported happiness.
Main Results:
- Frequent movers exhibited a stronger personal self-concept compared to nonmovers.
- Nonmovers showed a greater emphasis on the collective self-concept than frequent movers.
- Frequent movers reported higher happiness when their personal selves were accurately perceived by partners.
- Nonmovers reported higher happiness when their collective selves were accurately perceived by partners.
Conclusions:
- Personal history of residential mobility is significantly linked to individual differences in self-concept.
- The specific aspect of the self (personal vs. collective) that is more central influences the conditions for positive affect in social interactions.
- These findings offer novel insights into the interplay between life experiences, self-definition, and social-emotional outcomes.
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