Past Forward: Nostalgia as a Motivational Force
Open accessAbstract
Nostalgia has endured a negative reputation, being branded an unhealthy preoccupation with one's past. This reputation is unwarranted. Nostalgia has remarkable implications for one's future. It strengthens approach orientation, raises optimism, evokes inspiration, boosts creativity, and kindles prosociality. Far from reflecting escapism from the present, nostalgia potentiates an attainable future.
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Nostalgia, given its approach- or future-oriented property, inspires people to stand up and defend their morals.
“It is likely, then, that nostalgia, given its approach- or future-oriented property75,76, inspires people to stand up and defend their morals.”
From Nostalgia increases punitiveness by intensifying moral concern (2024) · cites this paper as [75]
Cites
Nostalgia: content, triggers, functions
Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Arndt, J., & Routledge, C. (2006) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.91.5.975 · Cited by 1,252 · see citing works
Self-citationSedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Routledge, C., Arndt, J., Hepper, E. G., & Zhou, X. (2015) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/bs.aesp.2014.10.001 · Cited by 348 · see citing works
Self-citationBack to the Future: Nostalgia Increases Optimism
Cheung, W.-Y., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Hepper, E. G., Arndt, J., & Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M. (2013) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167213499187 · Cited by 320 · see citing works
Self-citationPancultural nostalgia: Prototypical conceptions across cultures.
Hepper, E. G., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Ritchie, T. D., Yung, Y.-F., Hansen, N., Abakoumkin, G., Arikan, G., Cisek, S. Z., Demassosso, D. B., et al. (2014) · Emotion · doi:10.1037/a0036790 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Self-citationThe mnemonic mover: Nostalgia regulates avoidance and approach motivation
Stephan, E., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Zhou, X., He, W., Routledge, C., Cheung, W.-Y., & Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M. (2014) · Emotion · doi:10.1037/a0035673 · Cited by 204 · see citing works
Self-citationNostalgia-Evoked Inspiration: Mediating Mechanisms and Motivational Implications
Stephan, E., Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Cheung, W.-Y., Routledge, C., & Arndt, J. (2015) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167215596985 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Self-citationDropping the weight stigma: Nostalgia improves attitudes toward persons who are overweight
Turner, R. N., Wildschut, T., & Sedikides, C. (2012) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2011.09.007 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Self-citationCombating the mental health stigma with nostalgia
Turner, R. N., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., & Gheorghiu, M. (2013) · European Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/ejsp.1952 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
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The hedonic character of nostalgia: an integrative data analysis
Leunissen, J., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., & Routledge, C. (2021) · Emotion Review · doi:10.1177/1754073920950455 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Self-citationSociality and intergenerational transfer of older adults' nostalgia
Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., & Robertson, S. (2018) · Memory · doi:10.1080/09658211.2018.1470645 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Self-citationNostalgia increases punitiveness by intensifying moral concern
Lasaleta, J. D., Wildschut, T., & Sedikides, C. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-61858-x · Cited by 3 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Southampton (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Sedikides, Constantine
- Wildschut, Tim
- Venue
- Trends in Cognitive Sciences
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-05
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 319-321
- ISSN
- 1364-6613 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2280021507
- Cited by
- 150
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 23.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- eprints.soton.ac.uk
- Locations
- Trends in Cognitive Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Keywords
- nostalgia, motivation, optimism, creativity, prosocial behavior, future orientation, emotional well-being, escapism
- MeSH terms
- Orientation, Spatial, Emotions, Female, Forecasting, Humans, Male, Motivation, Mental Recall, Self Concept, Social Perception
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