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The University of Southampton
Nostalgia

Nostalgia Group Members 

Nostalgia Work is Profiled at The ObserverNostalgia has had a tumultuous history, being conceptualized as a medical disease and psychiatric disorder. Yet, nostalgia, “a sentimental longing for the past,” is experienced by almost everyone and quite frequently so.

Nostalgia is about close others (family members, friends, partners), momentous events (birthdays, anniversaries, vacations), and settings (sunsets, lakes). It is a self-relevant emotion (as the self is invariably the central character in the narratives) but also a social emotion (as the self is almost always surrounded by close others). It is also bittersweet, albeit mostly positive. And it is triggered typically by aversive conditions, such as negative affect or loneliness.

Importantly, nostalgia, once evoked, re-establishes psychological equanimity. It elevates mood, self-esteem, and a sense of social connectedness; it fosters perceptions of continuity between past and present; it increases meaning in life; and it “fights off” death cognitions. Finally, nostalgia has motivational consequences, as it facilitates approach-oriented (e.g., prosocial) behaviour.


A trip down Memory Lane

Dear Photograph website

 

World Observer Online

50 things only 80's kids can understand

 

What Is Nostalgia Good For?

Nostalgia Work Is Profiled at The New York Times

 

Nostalgia Work is Profiled at the Observer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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