Nostalgia: A potential pathway to greater well-being

Examining the Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Nostalgia Appeals: A Comparative Experiment of Nostalgia and Regret

Obesity rates remain high among U.S. adults, especially rural residents. Research has shown that nostalgia appeals effectively promote several healthy behaviors. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying nostalgia appeals remain unclear. This study examined the effects of nostalgia appeals on intention to increase exercise and shed light on how nostalgia affected persuasive outcomes. We anticipated that nostalgia appeals would persuade people by enhancing self-esteem and reducing anger and counterarguing. To illuminate the mechanisms underlying the effects of nostalgia, a between-subject experiment (nostalgia appeal vs. regret appeal vs. irrelevant message vs. neutral persuasive message) was conducted among overweight or obese rural Michiganders (N = 507). Results showed that relative to the regret appeal, the nostalgia appeal led to higher state self-esteem, less anger, and less counterarguing. There was no significant difference in attitude or behavioral intention between the nostalgia appeal, regret appeal, and neutral persuasive message. We demonstrated that enhancing self-esteem was the key mechanism by which the nostalgia appeal persuaded the target audience.

EEG Microstate Associated with Trait Nostalgia

Nostalgia, a self-related emotion characterized by its bittersweet yet predominantly positive nature, plays a vital role in shaping individual psychology and behavior. This includes impacts on mental and physical health, behavioral patterns, and cognitive functions. However, higher levels of trait nostalgia may be linked to potential adverse outcomes, such as increased loneliness, heightened neuroticism, and more intense experiences of grief. The specific electroencephalography (EEG) feature associated with individuals exhibiting trait nostalgia, and how it differs from others, remains an area of uncertainty. To address this, our study employs microstate analysis to investigate the differences in resting-state EEG between individuals with varying levels of trait nostalgia. We assessed trait nostalgia in 63 participants using the Personal Inventory of Nostalgia and collected their resting-state EEG signals with eyes closed. The results of the regression analysis indicate a significant correlation between trait nostalgia and the temporal characteristics of microstates A, B, and C. Further, the occurrence of microstate B was significantly more frequent in the high trait nostalgia group than in the low trait nostalgia group. Independent samples t-test results showed that the transition probability between microstates A and B was significantly higher in the high trait nostalgia group. These results support the hypothesis that trait nostalgia is reflected in the resting state brain activity. Furthermore, they reveal a deeper sensory immersion in nostalgia experiences among individuals with high levels of trait nostalgia, and highlight the critical role of self-referential and autobiographical memory processes in nostalgia.

Exploring Effects of a Nostalgic Storytelling Virtual Reality Experience Beyond Hedonism

In this study, we tested the effect of a nostalgic storytelling virtual reality (VR) experience (vs. a text-reading neutral VR experience as the comparison condition) on state-level eudaimonic well-being and explored the underlying mediating mechanisms. In a within-subject experimental design, all 31 participants experienced both versions of the VR in pseudorandomized and counterbalanced order. Compared with the text-reading VR experience, the nostalgic storytelling VR resulted in significantly higher hedonic and eudaimonic entertainment media gratifications (aka. media enjoyment and media appreciation, respectively), social connectedness, and state-level well-being. Moreover, the relationship between VR and well-being was serially mediated by the level of state nostalgia and eudaimonic media gratifications. That is, the nostalgic storytelling VR was found to evoke state nostalgia, which led to a greater appreciation of the VR experience; this appreciation, in turn, contributed to increased state-level well-being. Implications of the study findings for future research and practice are discussed.

Temporal Landmarks and Nostalgic Consumption: The Role of the Need to Belong

This study investigates the influence of temporal landmarks on nostalgic consumption through the mediating role of the need to belong. In particular, the study identifies end landmarks as one of the triggers of landmarks, a phenomenon that has not been studied in the existing nostalgic consumption literature. The research is composed of one pilot study and three experiments to test our research hypotheses. The results show that end temporal landmarks trigger feelings of nostalgia, which leads to nostalgic consumption through the need to belong. This study underscores the mediating role of the need to belong, which plays an important role in leading to nostalgic consumption. Building upon theoretical perspectives on the need to belong, our study enriches the research literature by linking extreme consumer emotional statuses, such as social anxiety, to the consumer need to belong, showing that consumer nostalgic consumption can become a coping strategy that counteracts these negative feelings and helps in regaining connection and supporting social relationship networks. Marketers may use the signs of end temporal landmarks to increase consumers' nostalgia, which, in turn, will enhance consumers' need to belong and thus lead to the purchasing and consumption of nostalgic products.