Back to the Future: Nostalgia Increases Optimism

This research examined the proposition that nostalgia is not simply a past-oriented emotion,but its scope extends into the future,and,in particular,a positive future. we adopted a convergent validation approach,using multiple methods to assess the relation between nostalgia and optimism. study 1 tested whether nostalgic narratives entail traces of optimism; indeed,nostalgic (compared with ordinary) narratives contained more expressions of optimism. study 2 manipulated nostalgia through the recollection of nostalgic (vs. ordinary) events,and showed that nostalgia boosts optimism. study 3 demonstrated that the effect of nostalgia (induced with nomothetically relevant songs) on optimism is mediated by self-esteem. finally,study 4 established that nostalgia (induced with idiographically relevant lyrics) fosters social connectedness,which subsequently increases self-esteem,which then boosts optimism. the nostalgic experience is inherently optimistic and paints a subjectively rosier future. © 2013 by the society for personality and social psychology,inc.