Nostalgia and self-humanity: processes and consequences
Nostalgia and self-humanity: processes and consequences
Nostalgia is prevalent across ages and cultures, confers multiple psychological benefits, and has wider appeal in arts, humanities, media, and the popular imagination. We proposed that a key reason for nostalgia’s prevalence, impact, and appeal is that it brings to the fore self-humanity—namely, internalizing the qualities regarded as uniquely human (e.g., moral reasoning, rational thought, personal agency, emotional complexity) and integrating them into one’s self-concept. We obtained support for this proposition in seven studies (ΣN = 3,039), using both cross-sectional and experimental designs. The influence of nostalgia on self-humanity was transmitted by self-esteem and meaning in life. Further, self-humanity mediated the promotive influence of nostalgia on friendship-approach goals and social efficacy. Nostalgia serves as a profound reminder of one’s humanity.
Nostalgia, authenticity, emotion, friendship goals, meaning in life, self-continuity, self-esteem, self-humanity, social connectedness, social efficacy
Wei, Xinni
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Sedikides, Constantine
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Wildschut, Tim
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Peng, Kaiping
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17 June 2025
Wei, Xinni
7d9dfbbf-b8c6-4de8-a2d2-692294f7b2bc
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, Tim
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Peng, Kaiping
8c11b0fb-ceca-41ac-b7c6-a6f58194d68e
Wei, Xinni, Sedikides, Constantine, Wildschut, Tim and Peng, Kaiping
(2025)
Nostalgia and self-humanity: processes and consequences.
The Journal of Positive Psychology.
(doi:10.1080/17439760.2025.2519299).
Abstract
Nostalgia is prevalent across ages and cultures, confers multiple psychological benefits, and has wider appeal in arts, humanities, media, and the popular imagination. We proposed that a key reason for nostalgia’s prevalence, impact, and appeal is that it brings to the fore self-humanity—namely, internalizing the qualities regarded as uniquely human (e.g., moral reasoning, rational thought, personal agency, emotional complexity) and integrating them into one’s self-concept. We obtained support for this proposition in seven studies (ΣN = 3,039), using both cross-sectional and experimental designs. The influence of nostalgia on self-humanity was transmitted by self-esteem and meaning in life. Further, self-humanity mediated the promotive influence of nostalgia on friendship-approach goals and social efficacy. Nostalgia serves as a profound reminder of one’s humanity.
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Nostalgia & Self-Humanity
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Nostalgia and self-humanity processes and consequences
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Accepted/In Press date: 28 May 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 June 2025
Published date: 17 June 2025
Keywords:
Nostalgia, authenticity, emotion, friendship goals, meaning in life, self-continuity, self-esteem, self-humanity, social connectedness, social efficacy
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 502952
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/502952
ISSN: 1743-9760
PURE UUID: 942166a7-9ca6-4941-a403-051537243e4d
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Date deposited: 14 Jul 2025 16:48
Last modified: 11 Sep 2025 01:57
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Author:
Xinni Wei
Author:
Kaiping Peng
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