An antidote to self-uncertainty: nostalgia prevents self-uncertainty from lowering self-continuity
An antidote to self-uncertainty: nostalgia prevents self-uncertainty from lowering self-continuity
We are concerned with the relations among self-uncertainty (ambiguity, doubt, or confusion about major aspects of one’s life such as career, close relationships, or financial stability), self-continuity (sense of connection between one’s past and present selves), and the emotion of nostalgia (sentimental longing for one’s past). We postulated that nostalgia would buffer the negative consequences (i.e., declines in self-continuity) of self-uncertainty. We provide preliminary support for this idea in an experiment, and consider broader theoretical and practical implications. Nostalgia serves as an antidote to the perils of self-uncertainty.
self-uncertainty, self-continuity, nostalgia, buffer
102-117
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, Tim
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Juhl, Jacob
1c3b38b1-ba9e-4f3c-8520-ebca3b712fa2
Biskas, Marios
7b122e5c-8baf-4525-966a-57fc390b1e0d
15 June 2025
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Wildschut, Tim
4452a61d-1649-4c4a-bb1d-154ec446ff81
Juhl, Jacob
1c3b38b1-ba9e-4f3c-8520-ebca3b712fa2
Biskas, Marios
7b122e5c-8baf-4525-966a-57fc390b1e0d
Sedikides, Constantine, Wildschut, Tim, Juhl, Jacob and Biskas, Marios
(2025)
An antidote to self-uncertainty: nostalgia prevents self-uncertainty from lowering self-continuity.
In,
Carroll, P. J., Rios, Kim and Oleson, Kathy
(eds.)
Handbook of the Uncertain Self.
2 ed.
Routledge, .
(doi:10.4324/9781003363385-9).
Record type:
Book Section
Abstract
We are concerned with the relations among self-uncertainty (ambiguity, doubt, or confusion about major aspects of one’s life such as career, close relationships, or financial stability), self-continuity (sense of connection between one’s past and present selves), and the emotion of nostalgia (sentimental longing for one’s past). We postulated that nostalgia would buffer the negative consequences (i.e., declines in self-continuity) of self-uncertainty. We provide preliminary support for this idea in an experiment, and consider broader theoretical and practical implications. Nostalgia serves as an antidote to the perils of self-uncertainty.
Text
Sedikides, Biskas, Juhl, & Sedikides (in Carroll et al.)
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
Sedikides, Biskas, Juhl, & Wildschut, 2025
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Published date: 15 June 2025
Keywords:
self-uncertainty, self-continuity, nostalgia, buffer
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 510637
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/510637
PURE UUID: c2bb81fd-2b23-4ac5-a796-87ed3e99c1e1
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Date deposited: 14 Apr 2026 16:55
Last modified: 15 Apr 2026 01:47
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Contributors
Author:
Marios Biskas
Editor:
P. J. Carroll
Editor:
Kim Rios
Editor:
Kathy Oleson
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