The psychology of residential mobility: a decade of progress

Abstract

Residential mobility has become a common experience for people in most parts of the world. As the number of people moving to different cities, states, and countries increases, it is critical to understand how this residential mobility affects one's thoughts, emotions, and actions. Psychological research on residential mobility over a decade is such an endeavor. We briefly summarize the earlier research in psychology that demonstrated the importance of residential mobility in understanding important psychological constructs such as self-concepts, social relationships, and well-being. We then review recent evidence in psychology and relevant fields that replicated and extended the earlier research. We discuss what is missing in the current literature and what additional research is needed in the future.