The past makes the present meaningful: Nostalgia as an existential resource.

Routledge, Clay; Arndt, Jamie; Wildschut, Tim; Sedikides, Constantine; Hart, Claire M.; Juhl, Jacob; Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M.; Schlotz, Wolff

doi:10.1037/a0024292

Cited by 370 publications

(482 citation statements)

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“…Previous research suggests that music is a powerful source of nostalgia and music/song lyrics have been reliably used to evoke nostalgia in previous studies (e.g., Barrett et al, 2010;Routledge et al, 2011).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Looking back to move forward: Nostalgia as a psychological resource for promoting relationship goals and overcoming relationship challenges.

Abeyta¹,

Routledge²,

Juhl³

2015

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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103

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Previous research has shown that nostalgia is a highly social emotion that provides a sense of social connectedness. In the present research, we tested a social motivational function of nostalgia. Specifically, across 7 studies we found converging evidence that nostalgia mobilizes social goals. In Study 1, nostalgia increased the importance people assigned to relationship goals and how optimistic they felt about achieving these goals. In Study 2, nostalgia increased intentions to pursue goals of connecting with friends. In Study 3, experimentally-induced pessimism about achieving relationship goals instigated nostalgia. In Study 4, we found evidence that it is the interpersonal nature of nostalgia that is associated with striving to connect with others. Specifically, nostalgia about aspects of the past that were high in sociality was associated with intentions to interact with others, whereas nostalgia for aspects of the past that were low in sociality was not. In Study 5, nostalgic reflection increased friendship-approach goal striving relative to reflecting on ordinary social memories, but did not increase friendship-avoidant goal striving. Finally, in Studies 6 and 7, we found evidence that social-efficacy mediated the effect of nostalgia on striving to connect with others and striving to overcome interpersonal challenges.Together, these findings establish nostalgia as catalyst for social goal pursuit and growth. (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Gardener, Pickett, and Knowles (2005) asserted that belongingness needs can be met directly or indirectly. Direct strategies are efforts to meet belongingness needs by actually connecting with other people. However, opportunities for direct social interaction are not always available. Gardner and colleagues (2005) suggested that when social contact is unavailable, people look to meet their belongingness needs with indirect strategies. One way people can meet belongingness needs indirectly is by seeking out reminders of a meaningful social bond (e.g., a photograph of a close friend). These reminders reassure people that they belong and have meaningful social relationships. Gardner and colleagues (2005) refer to this indirect strategy as "social snacking", because the reminders help people meet belongingness needs quickly, but can only temporarily satisfy the need to belong. Nostalgic reflection is one way of indirectly satisfying belongingness needs (for a review, see . Research indicates that nostalgic reflection is a potent reminder of social relationships which reassures people that they are connected with others (Abeyta et al., 2015;Sedikides et al., 2015;Wildschut, Sedikides, Arndt, & Routledge, 2006). In the present research, we investigate whether nostalgia is merely a "social snack" that helps people temporarily appease the need to belong, or if nostalgia also promotes more enduring means of satisfying this need. Specifically, we examined whether nostalgia motivates goals to connect with others. Additionally, we tested whether nostalgia promotes goal...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Looking back to move forward: Nostalgia as a psychological resource for promoting relationship goals and overcoming relationship challenges.

Abeyta¹,

Routledge²,

Juhl³

2015

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Self Cite

103

100

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“…This literature documents that nostalgia increases perceived meaning in life (Routledge et al, 2011).…”

Section: Implications and Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on literature that nostalgia contributes to a sense of meaningfulness (Juhl et al, 2010;Routledge et al, 2011;Routledge, Wildschut, Sedikides, & Juhl, in press), we hypothesized and tested in a single study that individuals who feel highly (vs. little) bored would become more nostalgic, and, in turn, would experience increased sense of meaningfulness. Prior work has shown that a momentary sense of meaningfulness contributes to more general perceptions of presence of meaning in one's life (Van Tilburg & Igou, 2011b).…”

Section: Study 6: Boredom Re-establishes Meaningfulness Through Nostamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participants in the nostalgic memory condition thought of a past nostalgic event, listed four relevant keywords, and described the event in writing. 1 Finally, participants completed the dependent measures, indicating the extent to which they felt nostalgic (1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree) on the following two items: "Right now, I am feeling quite nostalgic," "Right now, I'm having nostalgic feelings" (Hart et al, 2011;Routledge et al, 2011;.…”

Section: Procedures and Materials In Study 1 We Induced Boredom Withmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In search of meaningfulness: Nostalgia as an antidote to boredom.

Tilburg

Igou

Sedikides

2013

Emotion

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173

171

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We formulated, tested and supported, in six studies, a theoretical model according to which individuals use nostalgia as a way to re-inject meaningfulness in their lives when they experience boredom. Studies 1-3 established that induced boredom causes increases in nostalgia, when participants have the opportunity to revert to their past. Studies 4-5 examined search for meaning as a mediator of the effect of boredom on nostalgia. Specifically, Study 4showed that search for meaning mediates the effect of state boredom on nostalgic memory content, whereas Study 5 demonstrated that search for meaning mediates the effect of dispositional boredom on dispositional nostalgia. Finally, Study 6 examined the meaning reestablishment potential of nostalgia during boredom: nostalgia mediates the effect of boredom on sense of meaningfulness and presence of meaning in one's life. Nostalgia counteracts the meaninglessness that individuals experience when they are bored.

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“…In regards to existential threat, Routledge et al (2011) found that recalling a nostalgic (relative to a neutral) event increased subjective vitality, particularly for participants who perceived life as meaningless (compared to meaningful).…”

Section: Organizational Nostalgia Increases Work Meaning When Burnoutmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organizational nostalgia lowers turnover intentions by increasing work meaning: The moderating role of burnout.

Leunissen

Sedikides

Wildschut

et al. 2018

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology

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We report three studies addressing the relevance of organizational nostalgia for the meaning that employees ascribe to their work (work meaning). We hypothesized, and found, that organizational nostalgia enhances work meaning and thereby reduces turnover intentions. In Study 1, an employee survey, spontaneously experienced organizational nostalgia was associated with higher work meaning. In Study 2, an organizational-nostalgia induction increased work meaning, which subsequently predicted lowered turnover intentions. In Study 3, an organizational-nostalgia induction increased work meaning and thereby lowered turnover intentions, especially among employees who reported relatively high levels of burnout. When burnout is high, organizational nostalgia functions as a rich source of meaning that benefits employees' work experience. The Moderating Role of Burnout Most people have a strong need for meaningful work (Cartwright & Holmes, 2006; Pratt & Ashford, 2003;Steger, Littman-Ovadia, Miller, Menger, & Rothmann, 2013). Work meaning entails perceiving one's work as significant and meeting the psychological needs for personal growth and purpose (i.e., eudaimonic wellbeing). It entails a combination of experiencing positive meaning in one's work (i.e., the sense that one's work matters and is meaningful), seeing one's work as a path toward making meaning (i.e., the sense that one's work deepens understanding of one's self and the world), and perceiving one's work to contribute to the greater good (i.e., the sense that one can have a broader, positive impact on others through one's work) (Steger, Dik, & Duffy, 2012).Work meaning confers benefits to employees and their organization. For example, it fosters the sense that work is a key part of one's identity and a vital contributor to well-being (Arnold, Turner, Barling, Kelloway, & McKee, 2007;Harpaz & Fu, 2002). Employees who derive meaning from their work report greater job satisfaction, work unit cohesion, and organizational commitment (Kamdron, 2005;Nord, Brief, Atieh, & Doherty, 1990;Sparks & Schenk, 2001;Steger et al., 2012). On the other hand, low work meaning is associated with high turnover (Steger et al., 2012).With mounting evidence pointing to the merits of work meaning for employees and organizations, it becomes critical to understand its sources. In this article, we focus on one such source: organizational nostalgia. We propose that organizational nostalgia increases work meaning and, by so doing, lowers turnover intentions. We further argue that, if organizational nostalgia replenishes work meaning, it should be particularly beneficial to employees with depleted psychological resources, that is, those with high levels of burnout.Next, we present the rationale for these predictions. Organizational NostalgiaAccording to The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998), nostalgia is "a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past" (p. 1266). Nostalgic recollections typically involve important personal experiences or landmark events from one's lif...

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The past makes the present meaningful: Nostalgia as an existential resource.

Cited by 370 publications

References 100 publications

Looking back to move forward: Nostalgia as a psychological resource for promoting relationship goals and overcoming relationship challenges.

Looking back to move forward: Nostalgia as a psychological resource for promoting relationship goals and overcoming relationship challenges.

In search of meaningfulness: Nostalgia as an antidote to boredom.

Organizational nostalgia lowers turnover intentions by increasing work meaning: The moderating role of burnout.

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