Nostalgia is a complex and multifaceted emotion, intertwining a sentimental yearning for a cherished past with the poignant acknowledgment that returning to those times is impossible. Psychologists have long been intrigued by this emotion, debating whether nostalgia merely keeps us tethered to the past or acts as a psychological tool that propels us toward the future.
People often find themselves nostalgic over a variety of experiences, but studies indicate that such nostalgic feelings commonly revolve around personal relationships, particularly with those who have significantly impacted our lives. Memories of family gatherings from childhood, adventures with school friends, or holidays spent with loved ones often trigger nostalgic sentiments. Even nostalgic feelings linked to objects, like childhood toys or the smell of a specific dish, typically recall the times spent with others.
The social aspects of nostalgia are well recognized in research, yet how nostalgia influences social relationships remains less explored. During the COVID-19 pandemic, my colleagues and I observed that individuals frequently turned to nostalgic music when they felt isolated and lacked social interaction due to lockdown measures. This trend was also notable in the choice of other leisure activities, including classic TV shows and traditional board games, suggesting that people seek comfort in nostalgia during times of social disconnection.
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We hypothesized that nostalgia may be activated to manage one’s social connections. To investigate this, we conducted a series of studies to see if nostalgia not only provides a temporary sense of connectedness but also encourages people to seek and maintain relationships with those close to them.
In our initial studies, we surveyed 449 undergraduate students from the University at Buffalo and 396 adults from across the U.S. through a national survey panel. Participants filled out a “nostalgia proneness” scale to determine how often they experience nostalgia and the importance they place on such feelings. They also described their social networks, ranging from their closest friends and loved ones to more casual acquaintances.
Results showed that individuals who frequently felt nostalgic had larger inner circles of close friends. This tendency correlated with their efforts to sustain their social networks over time, indicating that nostalgic individuals are likely to invest more in maintaining their relationships, regardless of personality traits like extroversion, agreeableness, or emotional stability.
Previous studies have identified two main motivations in our social behaviors: the desire to form new connections and the need to strengthen existing ones. We found that highly nostalgic individuals scored high on both motivations, but particularly in strengthening current relationships.
However, it remained unclear from the data whether nostalgia directly influences these behaviors and motivations. To explore this, we analyzed data from a longitudinal study in the Netherlands, tracking 520 individuals from 2013 to 2019. Like the American study, this data showed that those more prone to nostalgia had larger networks of close social contacts. Intriguingly, nostalgia levels measured earlier predicted a larger network of close contacts later on, suggesting that nostalgia might actively shape social behaviors that foster connections.
The Dutch study also revealed that close social networks typically diminish as people age, due to various life changes like relocating or starting a family. Yet, individuals with high levels of nostalgia tended to maintain stable close networks over time, unlike those less prone to nostalgia, who saw a decline in their close connections.
This research is among the first to suggest that a past-focused emotion like nostalgia can have a lasting and significant impact on our social relationships. It appears that nostalgia serves as a psychological resource, helping individuals preserve close friendships and relationships as they age, thus playing a crucial social function.
So, next time you’re reminiscing over an old favorite song or rewatching a beloved TV show from your youth, remember that nostalgia might be more than just a fleeting sentiment. It could be a vital emotional guide, prompting us to cherish and invest in the relationships that matter most, and encouraging us to live fully in the present with our loved ones, as we build a shared future.
If you are a scientist specializing in neuroscience, cognitive science, or psychology and have come across a recent peer-reviewed paper you would like to discuss, please send your suggestions to Scientific American’s Mind Matters editor, Daisy Yuhas, at dyuhas@sciam.com.
This article is an opinion and analysis piece, and the views expressed by the author or authors do not necessarily reflect those of Scientific American.
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Cameron Aldridge combines a scientific mind with a knack for storytelling. Passionate about discoveries and breakthroughs, Cameron unravels complex scientific advancements in a way that’s both informative and entertaining.