Nostalgia fosters self-continuity: Uncovering the mechanism (social connectedness) and consequence (eudaimonic well-being).

TLDR

Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for the past that arises from self‑relevant and social memories and serves to foster self‑continuity by linking past and present selves. The article investigates, across six experiments, how nostalgia promotes self‑continuity and the resulting effects on well‑being. Results show that nostalgia enhances self‑continuity through increased social connectedness, which in turn boosts eudaimonic well‑being as measured by subjective vitality, thereby extending the known benefits of nostalgia for self‑system and psychological adjustment. PsycINFO Database Record.

Abstract

Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for one's past, is an emotion that arises from self-relevant and social memories. Nostalgia functions, in part, to foster self-continuity, that is, a sense of connection between one's past and one's present. This article examined, in 6 experiments, how nostalgia fosters self-continuity and the implications of that process for well-being. Nostalgia fosters self-continuity by augmenting social connectedness, that is, a sense of belongingness and acceptance (Experiments 1-4). Nostalgia-induced self-continuity, in turn, confers eudaimonic well-being, operationalized as subjective vitality (i.e., a feeling of aliveness and energy; Experiments 5-6). The findings clarify and expand the benefits of nostalgia for both the self-system and psychological adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record