Nostalgia: Past, Present, and Future
Abstract
Traditionally, nostalgia has been conceptualized as a medical disease and a psychiatric disorder. Instead, we argue that nostalgia is a predominantly positive, self-relevant, and social emotion serving key psychological functions. Nostalgic narratives reflect more positive than negative affect, feature the self as the protagonist, and are embedded in a social context. Nostalgia is triggered by dysphoric states such as negative mood and loneliness. Finally, nostalgia generates positive affect, increases self-esteem, fosters social connectedness, and alleviates existential threat.
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Positive affect has an adaptive role in a variety of outcomes, including well-being.
“First, research supports the adaptive role of positive affect in a variety of outcomes, including well-being (Lyubomorsky et al. 2005; Sedikides et al. 2008).”
From The role of passion in sustainable psychological well-being (2012) · cites this paper as Sedikides et al. 2008
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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
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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 has been conceptualized variously as a negative, ambivalent, or positive emotion (Sedikides et al., 2004). These conceptualizations were put to test. In a study by Wildschut, Stephan, Sedikides, Routledge, and Arndt (2008), British and American undergraduates wrote narratives about a ‘‘nostalgic event’’ (vs.”
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- Authors
- Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Arndt, J., & Routledge, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Southampton (GB)
- University of Missouri (US)
- North Dakota State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sedikides, Constantine
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2008-10
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 304-307
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- OpenAlex
- W2156735563
- Cited by
- 536
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 43 · 2025: 55 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 13.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Keywords
- nostalgia, positive emotions, self-relevance, social emotions, positive affect, self-esteem, social connectedness, loneliness, negative mood, existential risk
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