Some psychological characteristics of applicants for assisted migration to New Zealand

Abstract

The aim of the thesis was to examine some of the characteristics of service and civilian applicants for assisted migration to New Zealand from England. Wherever possible the characteristics of migrants have been compared with matched samples of non-migrants. Chapter I presents the problem of migration, with particular reference to New Zealand. As there are no previous studies of migrants before they have moved, Chapter II surveys the literature for the purpose of finding the most fruitful areas that could be studied and to find the way in which the migrant samples should be selected. Relevant results from other studies are presented later alongside my own findings. Chapter III is concerned with the scope and limitations of the study, and includes an account of the principal methods of data collection; the nature of the interviewed groups and my role as interviewer is considered in Chapter IV. Chapter V presents the results of an analysis of the relevant data from 550 application forms, primarily to note the degree to which those interviewed differed from a larger sample, but also to give an account of the characteristics of a larger group than could be interviewed. The results from interviews with 50 people in each of four groups (service and civilian migrants and service and civilian non-migrants) are presented in Chapter VI while Chapter VII is concerned with the results of the inventory which was completed by all those who were interviewed. In Chapter VIII the Rorschach results from 15 service migrants and 15 service non-migrants are given, and in Chapter IX the answers to a supplementary questionnaire are summarised. This questionnaire was designed to extend some of the interview data and it was completed by 63 service migrants and 40 civilian non-migrant. The last chapter summarises the study and draws together the findings, with some interpretative comments of their significance. There are also some suggestions for further work that could be done.