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The Psychological Context of Residential Mobility and Weil‐Being
Author(s) -
Stokols Daniel,
Shumaker Sally Ann
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1982.tb01776.x
Subject(s) - relocation , perspective (graphical) , context (archaeology) , term (time) , psychology , quality of life (healthcare) , construal level theory , social psychology , sociology , demographic economics , geography , computer science , economics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , physics , archaeology , psychotherapist , programming language
This article examines earlier research on residential mobility and health, and offers a theoretical framework that addresses certain issues neglected in that research. In general, previous analyses have characterized relocation as an acute and short‐term life event that imposes considerable strains on the individual at the time of moving. This perspective minimizes the dynamic quality of mobility and ignores the longer‐term health consequences of relocation which unfold gradually as the individual adjusts to the diverse life changes associated with moving. Alternatively, the proposed analysis assumes that the health effects of relocation depend not only on the immediate circumstances surrounding a move, but also on the broader context of the individual's residential history, current life situation, and aspirations for the future. Hypotheses concerning several psychological mediators of mobility and health are derived. These hypotheses are assessed in light of the findings from a longitudinal survey of residential experience and health.