Nostalgia encourages exploration and fosters uncertainty in response to AI technology
Nostalgia encourages exploration and fosters uncertainty in response to AI technology
The burgeoning progress of cutting-edge technology paradoxically evokes nostalgia. How does this emotion influence responses to innovative technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)? We hypothesized that two pathways operate concurrently. First, by enhancing connection with significant others, nostalgia constitutes a psychological resource that supports exploration of technological innovation, thereby promoting positive responses to AI. Second, by reinforcing scepticism toward change, nostalgia heightens uncertainty about innovative technology, thereby fostering negative responses to AI. Three preregistered experiments, testing participants (ΣN = 1397) across cultures (China, UK, USA), supported the two pathways. Nostalgia influenced responses to ChatGPT via two opposing serial pathways (Experiment 1). Further, social connectedness bolstered favourable responses to AI avatars via increased technology exploration (Experiment 2), whereas scepticism about change reduced favourable responses to companion robots via increased technology uncertainty (Experiment 3). This dualistic role of nostalgia can be harnessed to sustain new technology or instill caution for its risks.
Dang, Jianning
b97344ca-0f79-428e-937e-d64c39df8954
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, Tim
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Liu, Li
ce748233-f559-47d3-a423-c4dd25e2af26
27 December 2024
Dang, Jianning
b97344ca-0f79-428e-937e-d64c39df8954
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, Tim
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Liu, Li
ce748233-f559-47d3-a423-c4dd25e2af26
Dang, Jianning, Sedikides, Constantine, Wildschut, Tim and Liu, Li
(2024)
Nostalgia encourages exploration and fosters uncertainty in response to AI technology.
British Journal of Social Psychology, 64 (1), [e12843].
(doi:10.1111/bjso.12843).
Abstract
The burgeoning progress of cutting-edge technology paradoxically evokes nostalgia. How does this emotion influence responses to innovative technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)? We hypothesized that two pathways operate concurrently. First, by enhancing connection with significant others, nostalgia constitutes a psychological resource that supports exploration of technological innovation, thereby promoting positive responses to AI. Second, by reinforcing scepticism toward change, nostalgia heightens uncertainty about innovative technology, thereby fostering negative responses to AI. Three preregistered experiments, testing participants (ΣN = 1397) across cultures (China, UK, USA), supported the two pathways. Nostalgia influenced responses to ChatGPT via two opposing serial pathways (Experiment 1). Further, social connectedness bolstered favourable responses to AI avatars via increased technology exploration (Experiment 2), whereas scepticism about change reduced favourable responses to companion robots via increased technology uncertainty (Experiment 3). This dualistic role of nostalgia can be harnessed to sustain new technology or instill caution for its risks.
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Accepted/In Press date: 12 December 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 27 December 2024
Published date: 27 December 2024
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Local EPrints ID: 497325
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/497325
ISSN: 0144-6665
PURE UUID: 2f70a0d8-850b-4d48-b9e3-ca5c1595af55
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Date deposited: 20 Jan 2025 17:34
Last modified: 21 Jan 2025 02:38
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Author:
Jianning Dang
Author:
Li Liu
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