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Those Were the Days: Counteracting Loneliness with Nostalgia
November 13, 2008With the days getting shorter (and colder) and the Holidays quickly approaching, many of us start thinking back to days gone by. This sentimentality and desire for the past is known as nostalgia. All of us are struck with nostalgic feelings from time to time but a new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, indicates that nostalgia may serve a greater purpose than just taking us back to the good old days.
Psychologists Xinyue Zhou and Ding-Guo Gao from Sun Yat-Sen University, along with Constantine Sedikides and Tim Wildschut from the University of Southampton explored the connection between loneliness and nostalgia. They ran a series of experiments that had participants answer questions related to feelings of loneliness, social support and nostalgia. The study participants included children, college students and factory workers. In addition, the factory workers were also assessed on their resilience (their ability to recover from traumatic events and adverse life situations).
The results showed that individuals who felt the loneliest reported receiving the least amount of social support. What was interesting, however, was that these participants turned out to be the most nostalgic. In addition, when nostalgia was induced in a number of the study participants, they in turn perceived to have the greatest amount of social support. These findings suggest that nostalgia amplifies perceptions of social support, and in this way, counteracts feelings of loneliness. In addition, the findings revealed that the most resilient individuals are more likely to use nostalgia to overcome feelings of loneliness.
These results have very important implications to clinical psychology and indicate that nostalgia may be used in cognitive therapy, as a coping mechanism that individuals turn to when they are confronted with social exclusion. The authors suggest that "individuals could be trained to benefit from the restorative function of nostalgia when actual social support is lacking or is perceived as lacking".
Association for Psychological Science
These results have very important implications to clinical psychology and indicate that nostalgia may be used in cognitive therapy, as a coping mechanism that individuals turn to when they are confronted with social exclusion. The authors suggest that "individuals could be trained to benefit from the restorative function of nostalgia when actual social support is lacking or is perceived as lacking".
Association for Psychological Science
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Psychological Science (Third Edition) by Michael S. Gazzaniga (Author), Diane F. Halpern (Author), Todd F. Heatherton (Author) A dynamic, student-centered textbook that brings together the science of psychology and the science of learning. Michael Gazzaniga, Todd Heatherton, and new coauthor Diane Halpern present the latest developments in psychology in an engaging, visually stimulating format. The text enhances student understanding and stimulates active learning with Halpern’s unique science-of-learning pedagogical system; relevant, real world examples; and an art program tailored especially for visual learners. Instructors and students will benefit from the most integrated media package available for an introductory course. . |
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Psychological Science: The Mind, Brain, and Behavior by Michael S. Gazzaniga (Author), Todd F. Heatherton (Author) Psychological Science gives students an enticing overview of contemporary psychological research. It develops psychological literacy by presenting the material in a way that is directly related to their lives. It shows students how culture and gender can affect the way they view the world. And it asks them to consider the difficult new ethical dilemmas stemming from advances in psychological research. Throughout the text, real world psychology icons point out especially relevant examples, case studies important areas of applied research, and even potential career fields. Examples include how to deal with pain, whether childhood memories can be trusted, how to get better sleep, and how to maintain a long-term committed relationship. |
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Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS) Diploma Frame by Wordyisms Burl finish diploma frame from the Larson-Juhl Vienna Collection of fine woods. Approximate outer dimensions are 21 x 21 inches, but will vary based on your diploma size and orientation. Image is for illustration only. Double matted with conservation grade Crescent carbon black UltraSuede mat over Crescent gold mat. Both mats are acid and lignin free to ensure preservation of your document. A recessed, bevel-cut opening in the mat displays the gold foil embossed school name. Exceeds U.S. Library of Congress standards for document preservation. Environmentally conscious construction and packaging. Your purchase helps support the Global ReLeaf Forest Foundation which has planted over 250,000 trees. Acid-free fasteners are included with every frame along with simple instructions for... |
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