The restorative power of nostalgia: Thwarting loneliness by raising happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Zhou, X., Sedikides, C., Mo, T., Li, W., Hong, E. K., & Wildschut, T. (2022). Social Psychological and Personality Science, 

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Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk for loneliness. We tested whether nostalgia counteracts loneliness via rises in happiness. We conducted surveys in China (N ¼ 1,546), the United States (N ¼ 1,572), and the United Kingdom (N ¼ 603). Although feeling lonely was associated with unhappiness, it was also associated with nostalgia, which in turn conduced to increased happiness. We complemented these findings with three experiments testing MTurk workers (Study 4, N ¼ 209; Study 5, N ¼ 196; Study 6, N ¼ 190), where we manipulated nostalgia and assessed happiness. Nostalgia increased happiness immediately after the manipulation (Studies 4–6) and, following an induction booster, up to 2 days later (Studies 4–5). Nostalgia is a psychological resource that can be harnessed to raise happiness and help combat loneliness. 

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How Does Nostalgia Conduce to Global Self-Continuity? The Roles of Identity Narrative, Associative Links, and Stability

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Hong, E. K., Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2022) Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

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In five studies (N = 1,074), we examined the relation—both correlational and causal—between nostalgia, a sentimental longing for one’s past, and global self-continuity (GSC), a sense of connection among past, present, and future selves. Furthermore, we addressed mechanisms underlying this relation. We asked, in particular, whether nostalgic individuals might achieve GSC by constructing a narrative to give meaning to life transitions (narrative), connecting to the past (associative links), or believing in a self that is resistant to change (stability). Nostalgia predicted (Studies 1–3) and caused (Studies 4 and 5) GSC. The relation between nostalgia and GSC was consistently mediated by narrative, sporadically mediated by associative links, and unmediated by stability. The robust indirect effect via narrative remained significant when controlling for rumination (Study 3). We discuss theoretical and practical implications.

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Nostalgia strengthens global self-continuity through holistic thinking

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Hong, E. K., Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2021) Cognition and Emotion.

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Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for one’s meaningful past, promotes global selfcontinuity (GSC), a sense of connection among one’s past, present, and future selves. We identified a cognitive mechanism for this effect: holistic thinking, and in particular interactional causality (presupposing multiple causes that interact to influence an object’s behaviour). In three studies, using measurement-of-mediation and experimental-causal-chain designs, nostalgia was related to, and caused, higher GSC through interactional causality. In cross-sectional Study 1, trait nostalgia was associated with GSC via interactional causality. In Study 2, induced nostalgia led to higher interactional causality and ensuing GSC. In Study 3, manipulated interactional causal thinking increased GSC.

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