The Portrait of New Lithuanian Emigrants: Integrative Model of Psychological & Social Factors

This study explores the individual differences of new Lithuanian emigrants. We argue that there must be migration favouring factors related to individual and hypothesize that new Lithuanian emigrant has different personality profile than those who stay to live in their home country. Big Five personality traits, values, risk taking propensity and social factors were investigated in three groups of participants using cross-sectional survey: Lithuanians who want to live in their country of origin (N=101), Lithuanians who want to emigrate (N=41) and Lithuanian emigrants living in Ireland (N=124). Results indicated that new Lithuanian emigrants tend to be more extroversive, more open to experience and have higher emotional stability. No differences in value orientation were revealed. Consciousness, neuroticism and extraversion were predictive in the group of women. Emigrants have lower education, lower satisfaction with quality of social welfare. The revealed differences in personality profiles suggest further explorations not only of migrant personality, but also of citizens who express intention to emigrate. Risk taking propensity differed between non-emigrants and people with intention to emigrate; emotional stability and openness to experience more differentiated group of emigrants and non-emigrants. The results show that explaining emigration solely by social, cultural, economical and political variables is inadequate