Comparing American State Resident Neuroticism and State Tightness-Looseness as Predictors of Annual State Residential Mobility

Abstract

State resident neuroticism and the Harrington and Gelfand state tightness-looseness dimension were compared as predictors of state levels of residential mobility from 2004 to 2005 in the 50 American states. Hierarchical multiple regression controlled for state SES, white population percent, urban population percent, home ownership percent, and percent of home owners or renters paying 30 percent or more of household income for housing. Not moving was associated with higher neuroticism but not with tightness-looseness. Same-county moving, different-county moving, and within-state moving was associated with lower neuroticism but tightness-looseness was unrelated to any of these three criteria. However, lower tightness was associated with different-state moving and higher tightness was associated with greater tendency to move within a state rather than to a different state. Neuroticism showed no relation to the ratio of different-state to same-state moving. Results suggest distance moved may determine when neuroticism or tightness-looseness is a residential mobility predictor.