Romantic nostalgia as a resource for healthy relationships

Nostalgia is an emotion that confers psychological benefits. The literature has neglected romantic nostalgia—that is, nostalgia specifically for past experiences shared with one’s partner—and its potential advantages for relationships. We examined romantic nostalgia in one correlational study, two e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of social and personal relationships 2022-06, Vol.39 (7), p.2181-2206
Main Authors: Evans, Nicholas D., Juhl, Jacob, Hepper, Erica G., Wildschut, Tim, Sedikides, Constantine, Fetterman, Adam K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Closeness
Couples
Dating
Music
Nostalgia
Past experiences
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Summary:Nostalgia is an emotion that confers psychological benefits. The literature has neglected romantic nostalgia—that is, nostalgia specifically for past experiences shared with one’s partner—and its potential advantages for relationships. We examined romantic nostalgia in one correlational study, two experiments, and one daily diary study (N = 638). Romantic nostalgia was positively associated with greater relationship commitment, satisfaction, and closeness (Study 1). Additionally, inducing romantic nostalgia via a writing task (Study 2) or music (Study 3) strengthened relational benefits. Finally, participants reported more positive relationship-specific experiences on days when they felt greater romantic nostalgia (Study 4). We discuss contributions to the nostalgia and relationships literatures.
ISSN:0265-4075
1460-3608
DOI:10.1177/02654075221075773