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How nostalgia infuses life with meaning: From social connectedness to self‐continuity
Author(s) -
Tilburg Wijnand A. P.,
Sedikides Constantine,
Wildschut Tim,
Vingerhoets Ad J. J. M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.2519
Subject(s) - social connectedness , psychology , meaning (existential) , social psychology , aesthetics , psychotherapist , philosophy
Nostalgia increases meaning in life ( MIL ), but how so? In four experiments—using varied operationalizations of nostalgia, diverse populations, and complementary methodologies—we identified a serial process. We hypothesized and found, in Experiment 1, that self‐continuity boosts MIL . We hypothesized and found, in Experiment 2, that nostalgia increases MIL through self‐continuity. Finally, we hypothesized and found, in Experiments 3–4, that nostalgia fosters social connectedness, which plausibly heightens self‐continuity, which in turn strengthens MIL . The findings clarify an intricate pathway through which nostalgia renders life more meaningful.