Virtual-reality induced nostalgia: duration and psychological benefits
Virtual-reality induced nostalgia: duration and psychological benefits
We developed a new nostalgia induction using virtual reality. We compared this virtual reality task (VRT) with the established event reflection task (ERT) in terms of intensity of felt nostalgia and strength of psychological benefits produced by each induction method (Experiment 1) and the durability of these effects over time (Experiment 2). Offering initial validation for the VRT, Experiment 1 revealed that felt nostalgia and psychological benefits were higher in the nostalgia than control condition, irrespective of induction method. In Experiment 2, we improved the VRT and measured felt nostalgia and psychological benefits at five time points, separated by 5-minute intervals. The augmented VRT produced significantly stronger effects on felt nostalgia than did the ERT, and it retained this advantage over time. Compared to the ERT, the VRT did not produce significantly stronger effects on psychological benefits. Instead, psychological benefits were higher in the nostalgia than control condition at each time point except the final one, irrespective of induction method. Virtual reality environments can induce vivid, durable feelings of nostalgia and ensuing psychological benefits.
Yılmaz-Özdemir, İrem
db02c5a0-9bd6-4a61-9ae8-0dad3fc44bd0
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, Tim
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Graf, Erich
1a5123e2-8f05-4084-a6e6-837dcfc66209
16 October 2025
Yılmaz-Özdemir, İrem
db02c5a0-9bd6-4a61-9ae8-0dad3fc44bd0
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, Tim
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Graf, Erich
1a5123e2-8f05-4084-a6e6-837dcfc66209
Yılmaz-Özdemir, İrem, Sedikides, Constantine, Wildschut, Tim and Graf, Erich
(2025)
Virtual-reality induced nostalgia: duration and psychological benefits.
Behavior Research Methods, 57, [314].
(doi:10.3758/s13428-025-02851-8).
Abstract
We developed a new nostalgia induction using virtual reality. We compared this virtual reality task (VRT) with the established event reflection task (ERT) in terms of intensity of felt nostalgia and strength of psychological benefits produced by each induction method (Experiment 1) and the durability of these effects over time (Experiment 2). Offering initial validation for the VRT, Experiment 1 revealed that felt nostalgia and psychological benefits were higher in the nostalgia than control condition, irrespective of induction method. In Experiment 2, we improved the VRT and measured felt nostalgia and psychological benefits at five time points, separated by 5-minute intervals. The augmented VRT produced significantly stronger effects on felt nostalgia than did the ERT, and it retained this advantage over time. Compared to the ERT, the VRT did not produce significantly stronger effects on psychological benefits. Instead, psychological benefits were higher in the nostalgia than control condition at each time point except the final one, irrespective of induction method. Virtual reality environments can induce vivid, durable feelings of nostalgia and ensuing psychological benefits.
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Accepted/In Press date: 18 September 2025
Published date: 16 October 2025
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Local EPrints ID: 506305
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506305
ISSN: 1554-351X
PURE UUID: d1d42bf0-e873-4980-bab1-1a47286e080e
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Date deposited: 04 Nov 2025 17:33
Last modified: 05 Nov 2025 02:39
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Author:
İrem Yılmaz-Özdemir
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