magazine issue 6 2015 / Issue 26

Always on the Move: How Residential Mobility Impacts Our Well-Being

• written by Jenny C. Su, Chien-Han Kao & Hsiao-Tien Tsai
• edited by Laysee Ong

Why are the inhabitants of residentially stable communities more likely to engage in actions that benefit their community and less likely to engage in actions that hurt their community? So far, the research points to a few possibilities. One potential explanation is that people who live in the same community for a long time are likely to develop psychological attachment to their community (Kasarda & Janowitz, 1974). Such an attachment has been linked to community participation and revitalization (Brown, Perkins, & Brown, 2003). Moreover, frequent social interactions and problem-solving efforts among residents in stable communities can create a sense of collective efficacy, which has been linked to lower levels of crime (Sampson, Raudenbush, & Earls, 1997) and antisocial behavior (Odgers et al., 2009). Finally, residential stability helps strengthen people’s identity as a member of their community (Oishi, Rothman, et al., 2007). Greater level of identification to one’s community in turn leads to more pro-community behavior.

In spite of the many advantages associated with living in residentially stable communities, it may not be a naturally good fit for everyone. For example, research by Lun and colleagues (2012) found that residential mobility influences friendship preferences. People who move frequently prefer to make friends with egalitarian helpers (i.e., individuals who are more willing to help others outside of their friendship circles), whereas people who do not move frequently prefer to make friends with loyal helpers (i.e., individuals who tend to favor friends over strangers). So, if you are moving to a residentially mobile town or city, one strategy that may help you adjust to the new environment is to be open-minded and egalitarian. Lend a hand to both strangers and friends in need. If you are moving to a residentially stable town or city, it might be in your best interest to be loyal to your friends and lend them a hand whenever they need help.

Is the community high in relational mobility? Not only do communities differ in the extent to which their residents move, they also have particular social systems characterized by the way their residents establish and maintain relationships. In some communities, residents’ relationships tend to be entrenched within rigid social circles. Psychologists would call these communities low in relational mobility. In other communities, residents’ relationships are more easily formed and terminated. Psychologists would call these communities high in relational mobility. Research by Joanna Schug and her colleagues has shown that relational mobility affects the approach people take in strengthening relationships (Schug, Yuki, & Maddux, 2010). When relationships are perceived as more stable and difficult to terminate, people tend to put less effort in maintaining their relationships. However, when relationships are perceived as more fragile and shifting, people tend to invest more in relationships by sharing their personal thoughts and feelings.

This is not to say that people moving to communities low in relational mobility do not need to worry about maintaining relationships. They do, just in a different way. Because old relationships are less replaceable in communities with a low level of relational mobility, people must keep their existing relationships harmonious. That is why people living in places with low relational mobility have been shown to be more cautious about disclosing intimate details with others, including close friends, compared to people living in places with high relational mobility (Schug et al., 2010). So if you are living or planning to move to a place with low relational mobility, think twice before divulging your deepest secrets. It may be in your best interest to be selective in what you tell others, including your closest confidants.

Characteristics of One’s Social Network

Are you someone who prefers having a few close friends or a large social circle that is less deep? People who prefer having a few close relationships tend to form social networks that are narrow and deep, whereas those who prefer a larger social circle tend to form social networks that are broad and shallow. According to research conducted by Oishi and Kesebir (2012), the type of social network people have can put them at an advantage or disadvantage psychologically depending on how residentially mobile their community is and its socioeconomic condition. Specifically, one of their studies found that, among American respondents living in residentially stable and economically disadvantaged communities, those with narrow and deep social networks reported greater subjective well-being than those with broad and shallow social networks. In residentially stable but wealthy communities and in residentially mobile communities more generally, it was respondents with broad and shallow networks who reported greater subjective well-being.