Acculturation strategies and adaptation outcomes of international retired migrants in Portugal

Abstract

International Retired Migration (IRM) is a growing phenomenon worldwide, including in Portugal. However, there has been no psychological research to date that examines the association between acculturation strategies and adaptation outcomes among this specific group of migrants. It is unclear whether they exhibit similar patterns compared to other migrant groups. This article investigates the acculturation strategies adopted by 131 international retirees currently living in Portugal, as well as their psychological and sociocultural adaptation outcomes and their perceptions of prejudice due to their advanced age and foreigner status. We expected that some of the assumptions from the acculturation literature might not hold true, given the unique characteristics of this group, including their age and lifestyle changes associated with retirement. Confirming our hypothesis, the study found that integration was the strategy associated with the highest levels of psychological and sociocultural adaptation. However, contrary to our expectations regarding the specificities of this population, separation was the strategy linked to the lowest levels of psychological and sociocultural adaptation. Furthermore, the marginalization strategy did not lead to the worst adaptation outcomes, as the literature often suggests for similar populations.