What’s New Is Old Again: Nostalgia and Retro-Styling in Response to Authenticity Threats
Abstract
Nostalgia is both a past- and self-referencing emotion that provides diverse psychological benefits. In this article, we explore retro-styling as a means for tapping into nostalgia. We define retro-styling as new objects that, through their design, reference the past. We propose that threats to authenticity lead to heightened preference for these retro-styled objects because they can create a sense of self-continuity by linking present consumption with past consumption. We first demonstrate that feelings of nostalgia lead to heightened feelings of authenticity via self-continuity. We then demonstrate that trait inauthenticity is positively correlated with preference for retro-styled objects and that this preference is mediated by nostalgia. Next, we show that when consumers’ state authenticity is threatened, they exhibit a heightened preference for retro-styled objects, provided that the object has past personal relevance, and that self-continuity mediates this preference.
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Previous experiments revealed conflicting results regarding the actual effect of nostalgia on consumer outcomes.
“previous experiments revealed conflicting results regarding the actual effect of nostalgia on consumer outcomes.”
From A meta-analysis on the psychological and behavioral consequences of nostalgia: The moderating roles of nostalgia activators, culture, and individual characteristics (2023) · cites this paper as Lasaleta & Loveland, 2019
The current body of knowledge presents inconsistent results concerning nostalgia's consequences on consumer behavior.
“While many studies report positive effects (e.g., Gong et al., 2023), others indicate neutral (e.g., Lasaleta & Loveland, 2019) or even negative effects (e.g., Wang & Chao, 2020).”
From A meta-analysis on the psychological and behavioral consequences of nostalgia: The moderating roles of nostalgia activators, culture, and individual characteristics (2023) · cites this paper as Lasaleta & Loveland, 2019
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
A Multicomponent Conceptualization of Authenticity: Theory and Research
Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(06)38006-9 · Cited by 1,244 · see citing works
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Counteracting Loneliness: On the Restorative Function of Nostalgia
Zhou, X., Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., & Gao, D.-G. (2008) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02194.x · Cited by 468 · see citing works
Odyssey's end: Lay conceptions of nostalgia reflect its original Homeric meaning
Hepper, E. G., Ritchie, T. D., Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2012) · Emotion · doi:10.1037/a0025167 · Cited by 467 · see citing works
A blast from the past: The terror management function of nostalgia
Routledge, C., Arndt, J., Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2008) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2006.11.001 · Cited by 422 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Nostalgia also makes life feel more meaningful (Routledge et al. 2008; Juhl et al. 2010; van Tilburg, Igou, and Sedikides 2013) and provides a sense of self-continuity (Sedikides et al.”
BackgroundNostalgia as a repository of social connectedness: The role of attachment-related avoidance
Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Routledge, C., Arndt, J., & Cordaro, F. (2010) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0017597 · Cited by 328 · see citing works
Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Cheung, W.-Y., Routledge, C., Hepper, E. G., Arndt, J., Vail, K., Zhou, X., Brackstone, K., & Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M. (2016) · Emotion · doi:10.1037/emo0000136 · Cited by 318 · see citing works
The 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
Nostalgia Weakens the Desire for Money
Lasaleta, J. D., Sedikides, C., & Vohs, K. D. (2014) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/677227 · Cited by 199 · see citing works
Self-citationRemembering the real me: Nostalgia offers a window to the intrinsic self.
Baldwin, M., Biernat, M., & Landau, M. J. (2015) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0038033 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
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Hinsch, C., Felix, R., & Rauschnabel, P. A. (2020) · Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services · doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101987 · Cited by 279 · see citing works
Santini, F. D. O., Lim, W. M., Ladeira, W. J., Costa Pinto, D., Herter, M. M., & Rasul, T. (2023) · Psychology & Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21872 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Nostalgia makes people eat healthier
Lasaleta, J. D., Werle, C. O. C., & Yamim, A. P. (2021) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105187 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Lasaleta, J. D., & Loveland, K. E.
- Venue
- Journal of the Association for Consumer Research
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Published
- 2019-04
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 172-184
- ISSN
- 2378-1815 (ISSN-L)
- 2378-1823
- OpenAlex
- W2918152221
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4
- FWCI
- 4.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the Association for Consumer Research (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Retail Behavior Studies
- Keywords
- nostalgia, self-continuity, state authenticity, consumer preferences, product design
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