Nostalgia research

Almost everyone has experienced nostalgia in its modern sense, as a wistful memory of childhood or a strong feeling of homesickness. It can also trigger a sense of euphoria as a pleasant memory is recalled. In fact, a number of industries and services depend on their customers' feelings of nostalgia and longing. Toy companies routinely bring back favorite childhood toys of an older demographic, while television production companies reissue older titles to tap into the viewers' sense of nostalgia. The popularity of collectibles stores also points to its commercial value.

The nostalgic experience itself may consist of a mix of positive and negative emotions (e.g., Barrett, Grimm, Robins, Wildschut, Sedikides, & Janata, 2010; Batcho, 2007). Nostalgia, thus, implies a bittersweet affective undertone, which reflects the absence or loss of the once- cherished nostalgic object. Indeed, nostalgia has long been associated with homesickness and melancholia (e.g., McCann, 1941; Nawas & Platt, 1965; Rosen, 1975; Sedikides, Wildschut, & Baden, 2004), which made nostal- gia featured in novels and poetry, in particular of the 19th century (e.g., Austin, 2002). Iyer and Jetten (2011) demon- strated that nostalgia may have positive or negative conse- quences, depending on the degree to which an individual experiences a continuity of identity between now and the nostalgic past. The present study investigated another condition under which nostalgia may have adverse conse- quences, namely habitual worrying.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, nostalgia was viewed as a medical disease, complete with symptoms including weeping, irregular heartbeat and anorexia. By the 20th century, nostalgia was regarded as a psychiatric disorder, with symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety and depression and was confined to a few groups (e.g. first year boarding students and immigrants)