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Nostalgia counteracts self-discontinuity and restores self-continuity

Nostalgia counteracts self-discontinuity and restores self-continuity
Nostalgia counteracts self-discontinuity and restores self-continuity
Nostalgia is a resource that functions, in part, as a response to self-discontinuity and a source of self-continuity. We tested and supported this regulatory role of nostalgia in the tradition of establishing a causal chain. In Study 1, we examined the naturalistic association between events precipitating self-discontinuity and nostalgia. Self-discontinuity, especially when stemming from negative life events, was associated with higher proneness to nostalgia. In Study 2, we experimentally induced negative self-discontinuity (i.e. relatively disruptive), positive self-discontinuity (i.e. relatively non-disruptive) or self-continuity (i.e. neutral non-disruptiveness) and subsequently assessed state levels of nostalgia. Only negative self-discontinuity evoked heightened nostalgia. In Study 3, we experimentally induced nostalgia (versus ordinary autobiographical recollection) and assessed self-continuity. Nostalgia augmented self-continuity. In Study 4, we experimentally induced nostalgia (versus ordinary autobiographical recollection versus positive autobiographical recollection) and assessed self-continuity. Again, nostalgia augmented self-continuity and did so above and beyond positive affect. Here, we ruled out demand characteristics as a rival hypothesis. Taken together, the findings clarify the role of nostalgia in the dynamic between self-discontinuity and self-continuity and elucidate the restorative properties of nostalgia for the self-system
0046-2772
52-61
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, T.
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Routledge, C.
7d806180-c14c-4deb-867d-f7637581b719
Arndt, J
9056b769-bc4e-4870-b0dd-cbe8bb1e7215
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, T.
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Routledge, C.
7d806180-c14c-4deb-867d-f7637581b719
Arndt, J
9056b769-bc4e-4870-b0dd-cbe8bb1e7215

Sedikides, Constantine, Wildschut, T., Routledge, C. and Arndt, J (2015) Nostalgia counteracts self-discontinuity and restores self-continuity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 45 (1), 52-61. (doi:10.1002/ejsp.2073).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Nostalgia is a resource that functions, in part, as a response to self-discontinuity and a source of self-continuity. We tested and supported this regulatory role of nostalgia in the tradition of establishing a causal chain. In Study 1, we examined the naturalistic association between events precipitating self-discontinuity and nostalgia. Self-discontinuity, especially when stemming from negative life events, was associated with higher proneness to nostalgia. In Study 2, we experimentally induced negative self-discontinuity (i.e. relatively disruptive), positive self-discontinuity (i.e. relatively non-disruptive) or self-continuity (i.e. neutral non-disruptiveness) and subsequently assessed state levels of nostalgia. Only negative self-discontinuity evoked heightened nostalgia. In Study 3, we experimentally induced nostalgia (versus ordinary autobiographical recollection) and assessed self-continuity. Nostalgia augmented self-continuity. In Study 4, we experimentally induced nostalgia (versus ordinary autobiographical recollection versus positive autobiographical recollection) and assessed self-continuity. Again, nostalgia augmented self-continuity and did so above and beyond positive affect. Here, we ruled out demand characteristics as a rival hypothesis. Taken together, the findings clarify the role of nostalgia in the dynamic between self-discontinuity and self-continuity and elucidate the restorative properties of nostalgia for the self-system

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Accepted/In Press date: 8 September 2014
e-pub ahead of print date: 3 November 2014
Published date: February 2015

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 375020
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/375020
ISSN: 0046-2772
PURE UUID: 456064fe-358e-46d2-8b52-f8a37f1b93d9
ORCID for Constantine Sedikides: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4036-889X
ORCID for T. Wildschut: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6499-5487

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Date deposited: 10 Mar 2015 11:45
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:10

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Contributors

Author: T. Wildschut ORCID iD
Author: C. Routledge
Author: J Arndt

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