The effect of a multi-week nostalgia intervention on well-being: Mechanisms and moderation.

Abstract

Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for one’s past. We examined the effect of a 6-week, weekly nostalgia intervention on well-being (positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, subjective vitality, and eudaimonic well-being) over time. After 3 weeks, participants who engaged in nostalgic reflection had higher well-being than those who engaged in ordinary reflection. After 6 weeks, and at a 1-month follow-up, the positive effect of nostalgic reflection was reserved for those who were high on dispositional nostalgia (i.e., well-suited to the nostalgia intervention). However, at these time points, nostalgic reflection was associated with lower well-being among those particularly low on dispositional nostalgia. Across time points, nostalgic reflection was beneficial to the degree that it fostered social connectedness, meaning in life, and self-continuity, pointing to mechanisms that drive nostalgia’s positive influence on well-being. In summary, weekly nostalgic reflection has temporary well-being benefits for most (out to 3 weeks) and, beyond that, is a matter of fit—beneficial or adverse to those especially high or low on dispositional nostalgia, respectively.

Romantic nostalgia as a resource for healthy relationships

“…Endorsement of these items implies a sense of loss or relationship deterioration, and although "missing" is a prototypical feature of nostalgia, it is not a highly central one (Hepper et al, 2012(Hepper et al, , 2014. Therefore, the focus of these items is on the relatively narrow negative scope of nostalgia, rather than the more prominent positive experience of the emotion (Hepper et al, 2021;Layous et al, 2021). In addition, the correlational nature of both studies limits causal inferences.…”

Reducing social distance caused by weight stigma: Nostalgia changes behavior toward overweight individuals

“…We acknowledge that we tested nostalgia in a controlled laboratory setting, examining only immediate changes in attitudes. How might nostalgia be incorporated into an intervention that would have a meaningful and long‐lasting impact (Layous et al, 2021)? Contact‐based interventions are likely to have long‐lasting effects when they occur regularly and repeatedly rather than as a “one‐off” treatment.…”

“…How might nostalgia be incorporated into an intervention that would have a meaningful and long-lasting impact (Layous et al, 2021)?…”

The Content of Nostalgic Memories Among People Living with Dementia

“…Compared to ordinary narratives, nostalgic ones are characterized by self-oriented, social, and existential properties. Capitalizing on these properties, recent studies have begun to explore nostalgia’s beneficial effects for well-being among students ( Layous et al, in press ) and older people ( Bong et al, 2020 ). Despite often severe cognitive impairment, people who live with dementia engage in nostalgic reverie in similar ways to the wider population, and so are also likely to be receptive to the psychological benefits that nostalgia confers.…”