Late-Life Relocation and Personality Development: An ExplorationfromMacro-Level Phenomena to Micro-Level Mechanisms

Against the backdrop of accelerating global population aging, late-life relocation has become
an increasingly common major life event. However, previous research has largely overlooked
the profound association between this event and personality development. Older adults’
personality not only serves as a key predictor of successful adaptation to relocation, but a series
of changes triggered by relocation, such as shifts in environment, social networks, and daily
routines, may also drive changes in personality development. This dissertation addresses this
research gap by systematically exploring the mechanisms associating late-life relocation and
personality development. It comprises three empirical studies and one study protocol,
employing a progressive research logic and diverse methodologies to enable an in-depth
exploration spanning from macro phenomena and long-term developmental processes to micro
mechanisms.
Chapter 2 examines the personality-related emotional responses of older adults following
involuntary relocation. Focusing on a sample of Chinese older adults (N = 301) who moved
from rural to urban areas due to policy-driven resettlement, this study found that participants
widely reported clinically significant levels of anxiety. Although excessive reassurance-seeking
was positively associated with anxiety, this association was primarily mediated by attention to
negative information. Furthermore, the study revealed a paradoxical effect of resilience in the
context of late-life relocation. Older adults with higher resilience, when experiencing stressful
events such as relocation, were more likely to amplify negative attention bias in their external
support-seeking behaviors (i.e., reassurance-seeking), thereby exacerbating their anxiety.
Chapter 3 extends the focus from post-relocation emotional responses to more stable personality
traits. Using data from Wave 7 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe
(SHARE) across 25 EU countries (N = 48,298), this study examined personality differences
between nursing home and private home residents. The results showed only slight differences
between the two groups. These differences were largely explained by a combination of
individual-level sociodemographic and health-related factors, as well as macro-level contextual
factors such as regional and national economic development and investment in long-term care.
Chapter 4 investigates the dynamic trajectory of personality development before and after
relocation by analyzing 16 years of longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study
(HRS; approximately 20,000 participants). Separate models were estimated for two relocation
types: community relocation and nursing home admission. The results indicated that community relocation had mild effects, mainly reflecting the positive personality selection
effect before the move. Such relocation did not change the overall trajectory of personality
development and was even associated with higher life satisfaction after relocation. In contrast,
nursing home admission represented a profound psychological turning point. It was
characterized not only by a significant negative selection effect, but also by immediate shocks
and complex, long-lasting nonlinear changes in personality, accompanied by a marked decrease
in life satisfaction.
Chapter 5 presents a prospective cohort study protocol to address the limitations of existing
panel data and traditional longitudinal methods in capturing personality development processes.
The protocol employs a high-density longitudinal tracking design with daily and monthly
assessments following relocation, aiming to accurately capture the complete dynamic process
through which short-term fluctuations in post-relocation personality states, social interactions,
and daily routines develop into trait-level personality changes.
Overall, this dissertation systematically reveals the significant association between late-life
relocation and personality development, delineating the complex boundary conditions of
personality plasticity in later life. The studies emphasize that the effects of relocation on
personality are not uniform but are profoundly influenced by the combined moderating roles of
relocation type, individual characteristics, and macro-level socioeconomic and policy factors.
These findings extend theoretical understanding of late-life personality development and
provide an empirical foundation and practical guidance for developing multi-phase,
personalized intervention programs and psychosocial support strategies for older adults in
different relocation contexts.