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Interregional mobility and the personality traits of migrants

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  • Daniel Crown
  • Masood Gheasi
  • Alessandra Faggian

Abstract

This paper estimates whether individual personality traits, which are typically unobservable in survey data, influence the propensity to engage in interregional migration. We examine the big‐five personality traits: extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability. We find that individuals with higher levels of extraversion and openness to experience are more likely to migrate. Moreover, individuals with low levels of agreeableness and emotional stability are more likely to migrate multiple times. Overall, our results show that personality traits are significant factors in the migration decision. Este artículo estima si los rasgos de personalidad individuales, que no se suelen poder observar en los datos de encuestas, influyen en la propensión a la migración interregional. Se estudian los cinco grandes rasgos de la personalidad: extraversión, disposición a la experiencia, consciencia, complacencia y estabilidad emocional. Se encontró que los individuos con mayores niveles de extraversión y disposición a la experiencia son más propensos a migrar. Además, las personas con bajos niveles de complacencia y estabilidad emocional tienen más probabilidades de emigrar varias veces. En general, nuestros resultados muestran que los rasgos de la personalidad son factores significativos en la decisión de migrar. 本稿では、調査データでは通常は観察することができない、個人の性格的特性が、地域間の移住を実行する傾向に影響を与えるか否かを推定する。ビッグファイブ (the big‐five personality traits)の5つの因子、すなわちextraversion (外向性)、openness to experience (経験への開放性)、conscientiousness (勤勉性)、agreeableness (協調性)、emotional stability (情緒安定性)を調査する。外向性と経験への開放性のレベルが高い人は移住する可能性が高く、さらに、協調性と情緒安定性のレベルが低い人は移住を繰り返す可能性が高いことがわかった。概して、本研究の結果から性格的特性は移住の意思決定における重要な因子であることが示された。

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Crown & Masood Gheasi & Alessandra Faggian, 2020. "Interregional mobility and the personality traits of migrants," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(4), pages 899-914, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:presci:v:99:y:2020:i:4:p:899-914
    DOI: 10.1111/pirs.12516
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