Who I Am Is Who I Was: Exploring the Identity-Maintenance Function of Nostalgia

Abstract

Nostalgia is defined as a sentimental longing for the past and appears to be a frequently experienced, positive, and self-relevant emotion (Wildschut, Sedikides, Arndt, & Routledge, 2006). Across two studies, I examine the broader impacts nostalgia has on the self. Specifically, I find that nostalgia is related to perceptions of personal control, autonomy, and concern for externally defined standards of value. In study 1, the degree to which participants miss aspects of childhood predicts higher levels of personal control. In study 2, participants report feeling more personal control and autonomy as well as reduced concern with externally defined standards of value after writing about a nostalgic event compared to writing about an ordinary event. Furthermore, I provide evidence for a causal relationship between nostalgia, these identity-relevant variables, and meaning in life. These results suggest that nostalgia serves an identity-maintenance function.