Nostalgia increases the importance people assign to relationship goals, intentions to pursue the goal of connecting with friends, and the desire to resolve a relationship problem ( Abeyta et al., 2015). Future-Oriented Social CognitionĪrguably, the most compelling evidence that nostalgia is a future-oriented emotional experience is its effects on goal-related cognition, since goals are about the future. It drives them to act on their inspiration. Nostalgia doesn't just make people feel inspired. More broadly, when people experience nostalgia, they are subsequently more likely to engage in prosocial behavior ( Stephan et al., 2014), including charitable giving ( Zhou et al., 2012). Similarly, the social efficacy nostalgia engenders leads to increased social engagement ( Abeyta et al., 2015). For instance, health optimism triggered by nostalgia is associated with increased intentions to exercise and eat well, as well as subsequent levels of physical activity ( Kersten et al., 2016). Future-Oriented BehaviorĬritically, nostalgia-induced affective states promote relevant behavior. In short, nostalgia promotes the types of affective states that mobilize the self for action. People's written accounts of nostalgic memories also frequently contain themes of appreciation for both the past and hopefulness for the future ( Routledge, 2015). In addition, as people get older, nostalgia makes them feel youthful and more optimistic about their health ( Abeyta and Routledge, 2016). For instance, nostalgia increases optimism ( Cheung et al., 2013, 2016) inspiration ( Stephan et al., 2015) social efficacy ( Abeyta et al., 2015) and feelings of purpose in life ( Routledge et al., 2011).
Nostalgia increases general well-being ( Routledge et al., 2013) but also positively impacts motivation-relevant affect. In the following sections, we briefly review relevant evidence across affective, behavioral, social cognitive, and neuroscientific indicators and close by considering the need for future research focused on nostalgia as a shared experience. Nostalgia involves reflecting on past experiences but it motivates affective states, behaviors, and goals that improve people's future lives.
In the present analysis, we draw on the current state of the science to propose that nostalgia is ultimately a future-oriented emotional experience. Building on the behavioral inhibition (BIS/avoidance motivation) and behavioral activation (BAS/approach motivation) regulatory model Carver and White (1994), research also indicates that the activation of avoidance motivation increases nostalgia, which then activates approach motivation ( Stephan et al., 2014). Negative affective states such as sadness, loneliness, and meaninglessness trigger nostalgia and nostalgia, in turn, enhances well-being, feelings of social connectedness, and perceptions of meaning in life (e.g., Routledge et al., 2013).
A growing body of research positions nostalgia as a psychological resource with self-regulatory implications.
In other words, when people bring to mind memories that make them nostalgic, they are revisiting personally meaningful life events shared with loved ones. Nostalgic reverie is centered around the self, important social connections, and personally meaningful life events (e.g., graduation Routledge, 2015). Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, is a common, universal, and highly social emotional experience.
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