Distress prospectively predicts higher nostalgia, and nostalgia prospectively predicts lower distress

Wang, Yuqi; Sedikides, Constantine; Wildschut, Tim; Yang, Ying; Cai, Huajian

doi:10.1111/jopy.12824

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 134 publications

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“…However, this view has little empirical support and is instead refuted by many pieces of counterevidence demonstrating the adaptive functions of nostalgia (Frankenbach et al, 2021; Hepper et al, 2024; Umar Ismail et al, 2020). Thus, we instead interpret this finding in terms of the Regulatory Model of Nostalgia (Wildschut & Sedikides, 2023), in which discomforting situations elicit nostalgia and the nostalgia alleviates discomfort (Wang et al, 2023, 2024). Individuals high in neuroticism, by definition, have a greater tendency to experience negative and discomforting feelings (Matthews et al, 1990; Rusting & Larsen, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Unique affective profile of music-evoked nostalgia: An extension and conceptual replication of Barrett et al.’s (2010) study.

Hennessy,

Greer,

Narayanan

et al. 2024

Emotion

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Nostalgia is a mixed emotion, often evoked by music. This study sought to conceptually replicate and extend Barrett et al.'s (2010) pioneering work exploring music-evoked nostalgia, where the authors identified person-and context-level predictors of the experience of nostalgia in music. In a sample of 582 adults across the United States, we identified self-selected nostalgic and musically matched nonnostalgic, familiar songs for each individual, using an online survey in 2021. The participants listened to music and indicated feelings of valence and arousal, followed by assessments of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Short Form) and personality (Ten-Item Personality Inventory, Brief Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales, and Southampton Nostalgia Scale). Nostalgic songs were rated higher in valence and arousal than familiar, nonnostalgic control songs, and higher in mixed valence in some metrics. Individuals with higher trait-level Trait Nostalgia reported higher nostalgia ratings across nostalgic and control songs. Interactions between context-and person-level factors indicated that personality influenced the felt valence and arousal profile of music-evoked nostalgia, distinct from familiar control music. While some personality types found nostalgic music to make them feel more aroused and positive (those high in care, trait nostalgia, anger), others felt more negative while listening (those high in sadness). Last, we extend the personality profile of a highly nostalgic person; trait-level Trait Nostalgia was associated with care, play, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism. We demonstrate affective and person-level contributors to music-evoked nostalgia observed in Barrett et al.'s (2010) hold even when controlling for familiarity and musical features. We provide novel insights on complex interactions supporting this emotion, in a larger and more diverse sample with personalized stimuli.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Unique affective profile of music-evoked nostalgia: An extension and conceptual replication of Barrett et al.’s (2010) study.

Hennessy,

Greer,

Narayanan

et al. 2024

Emotion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, given that nostalgia is triggered by negative emotions (Wildschut et al, 2006), existential doubts (Juhl et al, 2010), deficits in sociality (Zhou et al, 2008), and self-esteem threats (Vess et al, 2012), these correlations may reflect the reverse causal direction (see also Hepper & Dennis, 2023). Also, longitudinal findings indicate that nostalgia acts as a response to distress, not vice-versa (Wang, Sedikides, et al, 2023; Wang, Wildschut, et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pancultural nostalgia in action: Prevalence, triggers, and psychological functions of nostalgia across cultures.

Hepper,

Sedikides,

Wildschut

et al. 2024

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

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Nostalgia is a social, self-relevant, and bittersweet (although mostly positive) emotion that arises when reflecting on fond past memories and serves key psychological functions. The majority of evidence concerning the prevalence, triggers, and functions of nostalgia has been amassed in samples from a handful of largely Western cultures. If nostalgia is a fundamental psychological resource, it should perform similar functions across cultures, although its operational dynamics may be shaped by culture. This study (N = 2,606) examined dispositional nostalgia, self-reported triggers of nostalgia, and functions of experimentally induced nostalgia in young adults across 28 countries and a special administrative region of China (i.e., Hong Kong). Results indicated that nostalgia is frequently experienced across cultures, albeit better valued in more-developed countries (i.e., higher national wealth and life-expectancy). Nostalgia is triggered by psychological threats (especially in warmer countries), sensory stimuli (especially in more-developed countries), and social gatherings (especially in less-developed countries). The positive or negative affect prompted by experimentally induced nostalgia varied by country, but was mild overall. More importantly, recalling a nostalgic (vs. ordinary) memory increased social connectedness, self-continuity, and meaning in life across cultures. In less-developed countries, recalling an ordinary memory also conferred some of these functions, reducing the effect size of nostalgia. Finally, recalling a nostalgic (vs. ordinary) memory augmented state satisfaction with life in countries with lower quality of living (i.e., lower life-expectancy and life-satisfaction). Overall, findings confirm the relevance of nostalgia across a wide range of cultures and indicate cultural nuances in its functioning.

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“…No literature exists on the relation between social anxiety and nostalgia. However, given that aversiveness has been known to be associated with, or elicit, nostalgia (Sedikides et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2023), we expected a positive relation (correlational or experimental) between social anxiety and emotion. Socially anxious individuals would seek refuge in nostalgia.…”

Section: Nostalgia Social Anxiety and Interpersonal Competence: The R...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nostalgia Counteracts Social Anxiety and Enhances Interpersonal Competence

Dai

Jiang

Wildschut

et al. 2023

Social Psychological and Personality Science

Self Cite

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Socially anxious individuals struggle with establishing and maintaining social relationships. We hypothesized that, when socially anxious, people often turn to nostalgia, which alleviates the interpersonal competence deficits that accompany social anxiety. We tested and supported this hypothesis in six studies ( N = 1,858), three preregistered. In cross-sectional Study 1, higher (compared with lower) social anxiety individuals more frequently identified interpersonal incompetence as a trigger of nostalgia. In cross-sectional Study 2, social anxiety was associated negatively with interpersonal competence, but positively with nostalgia, which in turn predicted higher interpersonal competence. In the final four studies, we tested causation. Although social anxiety reduced interpersonal competence, it also triggered nostalgia (Studies 3–3S), and nostalgia increased interpersonal competence (Studies 4–5).

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Distress prospectively predicts higher nostalgia, and nostalgia prospectively predicts lower distress

Cited by 9 publications

References 134 publications

Unique affective profile of music-evoked nostalgia: An extension and conceptual replication of Barrett et al.’s (2010) study.

Unique affective profile of music-evoked nostalgia: An extension and conceptual replication of Barrett et al.’s (2010) study.

Pancultural nostalgia in action: Prevalence, triggers, and psychological functions of nostalgia across cultures.

Nostalgia Counteracts Social Anxiety and Enhances Interpersonal Competence

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