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Cited by 87Nostalgia and Consumer BehaviorPersonality Traits and PsychologyEmotions and Moral Behavior

Nostalgia proneness and empathy: Generality, underlying mechanism, and implications for prosocial behavior

Open access
Juhl, Jacob, Wildschut, Tim, Sedikides, Constantine, Diebel, Tara, Cheung, Wing‐Yee, Vingerhoets, Ad J. J. M.·2020·Journal of Personality
DOI 10.1111/jopy.12505
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for one's past. We examined the hypotheses (rooted in attachment theory and research) that nostalgia prone individuals, by virtue of their greater attachment security, are more empathic and enact more prosocial behavior. METHOD: = 8-90 years), we measured nostalgia proneness and affective empathy. Additionally, we measured cognitive empathy in Study 3, attachment security in Studies 4-5, and prosocial behavior in Study 5. RESULTS: Nostalgia proneness was positively related to affective empathy among younger and older adults (Studies 1, 3-5) and among children (Study 2). This association was stronger for affective empathy than cognitive empathy (Study 3). Also, attachment security mediated the relation between nostalgia proneness and affective empathy (Studies 4-5). Finally, nostalgia prone individuals were more likely to engage in prosocial behavior, and this relation was serially mediated by attachment security and affective empathy (Study 5). CONCLUSION: The findings establish the empathic and prosocial character of nostalgia prone individuals, and clarify their personality profile.

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  • Nostalgia promotes prosocial attitudes and behaviors, such as cooperation, charitable donations, and prejudice reduction.

    “Third, nostalgia promotes prosocial attitudes and behaviors, such as cooperation30,50, charitable donations51,52, and prejudice reduction53–56, all of which can be perceived as sociomoral concerns linked to moral values57.”

    From Nostalgia increases punitiveness by intensifying moral concern (2024) · cites this paper as [51]

    This citation is attached to charitable donations, not cooperation or prejudice reduction. In Study 5 (Accepted Article), nostalgia proneness was positively associated with donating money, but the paper does not establish that nostalgia causes donations; “promotes” overstates that finding. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • A high level of empathy can promote prosocial behavior and the well-being of people while upgrading interpersonal relationships.

    “A high level of empathy can promote prosocial behavior and the well-being of people while upgrading interpersonal relationships [3,4].”

    From The Relationship between Empathy and Attachment in Children and Adolescents: Three-Level Meta-Analyses. (2022) · cites this paper as [4]

    The section 'Empathy Mediates the Relation Between Nostalgia Proneness and Prosocial Behavior' says empathy promotes donating, volunteering, and sharing. 'Future Empirical Directions and Clarifications' says empathic people are better able to negotiate relational problems, which supports the interpersonal-relationships part. Neither passage establishes that empathy improves people's well-being; no page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Nostalgia is linked to empathy, which is implicated in moral decisions.

    “Finally, nostalgia is linked to empathy51, which is implicated in moral decisions58.”

    From Nostalgia increases punitiveness by intensifying moral concern (2024) · cites this paper as [51]

  • Individuals high in trait nostalgia experience greater affective empathy.

    “Across five studies, Juhl et al. [44] demonstrated that individuals high in trait nostalgia experience greater affective empathy.”

    From Nostalgia: An impactful social emotion (2023) · cites this paper as [44]

  • Nostalgic individuals are more prosocial, mediated by affective empathy.

    “Juhl et al. [44] found that nostalgic individuals, by virtue of their intensified affective empathy, are more prosocial.”

    From Nostalgia: An impactful social emotion (2023) · cites this paper as [44]

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Mikulincer, M., & Shaver P. R. (2017). Attachment patterns in adulthood: Structure, dynamics and change (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
  2. Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York. NY: McGraw-Hill.
  3. The New Oxford Dictionary of English, (1998). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

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Authors
Juhl, J., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Diebel, T., Cheung, W., & Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M.
Affiliations
  • University of Southampton (GB)
  • Hampshire Educational Psychology Winchester UK
  • University of Winchester (GB)
  • Tilburg University (NL)
Corresponding author
Juhl, Jacob
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Personality
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2019-09-11
Volume
88
Issue
3
Pages
485-500
ISSN
  • 0022-3506 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-6494
DOI
10.1111/jopy.12505
OpenAlex
W2969743807
Cited by
84
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 5 · 2017: 1
FWCI
10.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Personality (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • Research portal (Tilburg University) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
Keywords
nostalgia proneness, affective empathy, cognitive empathy, attachment security, prosocial behavior, attachment theory, personality traits, children
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Altruism, Child, Empathy, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Object Attachment, Personality, Young Adult

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