Psychological and Social Effects of Nostalgia
Tamerlan Tserenov
The City College of New York
English 21003: Writing for Sciences
Professor Brittany Zayas
April 28, 2025

Introduction
Nostalgia is a phenomenon that implies a special kind of emotional memory in situations
of sudden life changes. The word “nostalgia” comes from the Greek words nostein (returning
“home”) and algia (painful condition). The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) defines the
emotion of nostalgia as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past” (p. 1266).
Nostalgia allows an individual to maintain the illusion of continuity, which often manifests itself
in severe psychosomatic conditions. This phenomenon implies a special kind of emotional
memory in situations of sudden life changes such as moving to a new place, experiencing a loss,
or adapting to new cultural environments.

The study of nostalgia reveals its possible functions in therapy, particularly in the
treatment of anxiety and depression. However, it is equally true that nostalgia could be harmful
to individuals and societal structures, promoting passivity towards change while glorifying the
past to such an extent that makes it challenging to implement innovations which are, at times,
inevitable for the proper functioning of society.

This work will be organized as follows: first, the historical and etymological evolution of
the concept of nostalgia will be analyzed, starting with its perception as a medical condition and
ending with its recognition as a widely studied psychological phenomenon (Abramov, 2012).
After that, based on Chapter 9 of the Wiley Handbook of Positive Clinical Psychology
“Bittersweet Emotion and Its Health Benefits,” the work will delve into nostalgia’s emotional
and cognitive mechanism. The work will also highlight the positive effects of nostalgia such as
depression alleviation (Hussain et al., 2022), stress relief, improved well-being (Wood et al.,
2016), and also examine the negative aspects like reality evasion and change resistance
(Lammers et. al., 2025). Moreover, some modern implications of nostalgia in the context of
media, marketing, consumerism, and psychological health will be discussed, acknowledging its
implications in regard to contemporary society. Therefore, the work will explore the multifaceted
nature of nostalgia, understanding it as a psychological phenomenon that can foster stability but
also create extreme tensions within a person. Applying this understanding brings the possibility
of more adequately incorporating nostalgia into clinical settings or sociocultural assessments.

Historical Background of Nostalgia
The concept of nostalgia goes back to the 17th century, when in 1688 the Swiss physician
Hofer first used the term “nostalgia” to describe a potentially fatal form of homesickness
common among Swiss mercenary soldiers serving far from their homeland. In 1732, the
German-Swiss physician Scheucher explained the causes of nostalgia symptoms by sudden
changes in atmospheric pressure, causing blood to flow from the heart to the brain and
accompanied by mood swings. During the 17th and 18th centuries, cases of nostalgia were
diagnosed among the personnel of almost all the armies of European countries. These cases were
considered as an important indicator of the moral and psychological spirit of soldiers and
officers. Nostalgia is used in both senses: as a personal loss of an idealized past and a craving for
it, and as an intellectual and emotional construct that distorts the public version of a certain
historical period or a certain social formation of the past. Nostalgia is closely related to the
concepts of social, collective, or cultural memory, which explain how memories are produced,
modified, assimilated, and legitimized within a particular socio-cultural community. In modern
studies, nostalgia is presented not only as a personal experience, but also as a socio-cultural
phenomenon, closely connected with the processes of collective thinking and the construction of
historical experience. In his work, Abramov writes: “Nostalgia is closely connected with the
concepts of social, collective or cultural memory, explaining how thoughts are produced,
changed, assimilated and legitimized within the framework of a socio-cultural community.”
Thus, nostalgia is represented not only as an individual process, but as a social mechanism
associated with various factors. (Abramov, 2012).

Thus, the term nostalgia has changed over time and has come down to the present as
longing for the past. Over time, it became known that nostalgia can be a problem for both an
individual and a whole group of people connected by memories of the past. Despite the fact that
nostalgia was initially viewed as a disease that causes apathy and depression, nostalgia is now
seen as a way to deal with such conditions.
What happens in the brain when we experience nostalgia?
In recent years, scientists have begun to actively explore how the brain works during the
experience of nostalgia. According to a review by Yang et al. (2022), nostalgia is associated with
the activation of several brain regions that are responsible for self-reflection, memories of the
past, emotion regulation, and a sense of pleasure. In their model, the main areas are the medial
prefrontal cortex (mPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), hippocampus (HPC), anterior
cingulate cortex (ACC), as well as parts of the reward system — the ventral tegmental area
(VTA) and striatum.
Research shows that during nostalgia, areas of the brain are activated that help a person
make sense of themselves, remember important moments from life, and feel emotionally
supported. For example, the hippocampus helps make memories more vivid and emotional, and
the activation of reward areas explains why experiencing the past is perceived as something
pleasant. At the same time, nostalgia not only lifts the mood, but also strengthens the sense of
one’s own integrity and helps to cope better with difficulties.
Thus, nostalgia is not just warm memories, but an important process that helps maintain
psychological health. Yang et al. (2022) believe that understanding exactly how the brain reacts
to nostalgia may help create special programs in the future to improve mood and combat
depression, especially in people who are faced with stress or age-related changes.

The Impact of Nostalgic Emotional Appeal in Public Service Announcements on Depression Help-Seeking Behavior
A study conducted by Hussein and Alhabash (2022) examined the effect of a nostalgic
emotional appeal in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) video on motivation to seek help for
depression. The main variable of the study was nostalgic emotional attractiveness, which
included two levels: presence and absence. Participants were randomly assigned to view either a
nostalgic PSA or a control PSA. The nostalgic PSA used images and memories from childhood,
moving on to themes of sadness due to academic stress and ending with a call to seek help. The
control survey was dedicated to a recent tragic event and also ended with an appeal for help. The
participants, recruited from a student research group, completed a depression assessment
questionnaire and were randomly assigned to one of two groups. They then reviewed the relevant
questionnaire and filled out questionnaires assessing emotions, attitudes towards counseling
centers, and intentions to seek help. The study also took into account factors such as stigma,
previous counseling experience, and depression levels.
After analyzing the data with ANCOVA, it was found that nostalgic exposure effectively
triggers positive emotional reactions and increases the desire to seek help. The authors’
conclusions were: “The present study shows a positive effect of nostalgia-themed PSAs in
improving intention to seek help, even after controlling for stigma. In other words, positive
emotions evoked from a nostalgia-themed PSA appeared as a predictor of help seeking, which is
a significant step toward recovering from depression” p. 490. This approach helps to explore
how nostalgic elements can influence depression and human behavior, which is important for
developing more effective methods of preventing and treating depression in the future.
The Psychological Benefits of Nostalgia
Nostalgia serves as a psychological resource that improves well-being and strengthens a
sense of identity (Wood & Johnson, 2016). Nostalgia allows people to reconnect with meaningful
past experiences, strengthening their sense of self and personal values. Research shows that
nostalgic reflections can boost mood, boost self-esteem, and foster social bonding (Wood &
Johnson, 2016). The quote from the book states: “In addition, nostalgia raises optimism.
Nostalgic narratives (resulting from the ERT) contain more references to optimism than control
narratives (Cheung et al., 2013, Study 1). Scent-induced nostalgia also increases optimism (e.g.,
feeling “optimistic about my future”) (Reid et al., 2014). Moreover, nostalgic participants report
being more optimistic (e.g., “feeling like the sky is the limit”) than their control counterparts
(Cheung et al., 2013, Study 2). Importantly, self-esteem mediates the effect of nostalgia on
optimism: nostalgia raises optimism by boosting self-esteem (Cheung et al., 2013, Study 3, p.
129).
By remembering positive memories, people receive psychological protection from stress
and negative emotions, which makes nostalgia a valuable means of emotional regulation.
Another quote from the book states: “Nostalgic memories pertain to momentous events or
significant persons from one’s past” (Wildschut et al., 2006, Studies 1–2; Abeyta et al., 2014, p.
129). Such memories may serve to reassure individuals of life’s meaningfulness (Lambert,
Stillman, Baumeister, Fincham, Hicks, and Graham, 2010). In addition, nostalgia is associated
with increased optimism about the future, as positive experiences from the past remind people of
their resilience and ability to rejoice (Wood & Johnson, 2016). These benefits for well-being
confirm that nostalgia is not merely a form of escapism, but an acceptable mechanism to support
psychological and personal growth.

Nostalgia as a psychological resource for people with dementia
Research shows that nostalgic memories can serve as an important psychological
resource for people facing dementia. A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental
studies have revealed that nostalgia has a positive effect on a wide range of psychological
resources, including social connectedness, self-esteem, meaningfulness of life, optimism, and a
sense of self-continuity (Umar Ismail et al., 2018). In particular, an analysis of 47 experiments
demonstrated that nostalgic reminiscence contributes to a moderate increase in positive affect
(effect 0.51) and optimism (0.38), and also has a strong effect on the meaningfulness of life
(0.77) and a sense of personal continuity (0.81) (Umar Ismail et al., 2018). These effects are
especially important in the context of dementia, as the disease is often accompanied by impaired
self-esteem, social isolation, and decreased faith in the future.
Nostalgia helps a person to restore lost connections with others, strengthening the sense of
belonging and continuity of personal experience, which reduces existential anxiety and maintains
the stability of the “I” (Umar Ismail et al., 2018). It is especially valuable that nostalgia affects
key aspects of psychological health without increasing the level of negative emotions, since there
were no differences in negative affect between nostalgic and non-nostalgic memories (Umar
Ismail et al., 2018). This highlights that nostalgia is not just a “pleasant memory”, but a powerful
emotional resource that can mitigate the psychological losses caused by dementia.
Thus, the results of the meta-analysis confirm that nostalgic reminiscence can be effectively
integrated into therapeutic programs for people with dementia. Adapting life review techniques
and stimulating positive memories based on nostalgia may be a promising direction for
improving the quality of life of such patients and supporting their mental well-being (Umar
Ismail et al., 2018).

How Idealizing the Past Impedes Social Progress
Lammers et al. (2025) explore nostalgia and social progress. Although nostalgia has a
positive effect on individual well-being, the authors argue that it has detrimental effects on
collective progress. Their results show that nostalgia causes people to embellish the past,
completely ignoring or ignoring the bad aspects of the past; it is this embellishment that makes
people so disgusted with social reforms and change, because they believe that the past was a
golden age that should be preserved. The problem arose because nostalgia evokes strong positive
emotions about past experiences, thereby creating an illusion about the perceived past; even its
negative aspects are perceived through a nostalgic prism and rationalized as good, causing
people to further resist modern values and progress.
The authors support their arguments with evidence from six separate studies, each of which
highlights how nostalgia meaningfully shapes social and political attitudes. Their findings
suggest that nostalgic feelings are not merely sentimental but can actively influence people’s
judgments and behaviors in ways that may resist social progress. For instance, nostalgia was
found to increase opposition to public-smoking bans, even among individuals who were
non-smokers or former smokers — groups typically more aware of the harmful consequences of
second-hand smoke. This indicates that nostalgia can create a preference for past social norms,
even when those norms contradict individuals’ current health knowledge and best interests.
Similarly, the studies revealed that nostalgia reduced the perceived importance of car safety, even
among individuals who had previously been victims of traffic accidents. Despite firsthand
experience with the dangers of unsafe vehicles, participants were more likely to idealize older,
less secure car models, demonstrating how nostalgia can override rational risk assessments in
favor of emotional attachments to the past.
Beyond health and safety attitudes, nostalgia also appeared to reinforce traditional gender roles.
Participants experiencing nostalgia were more inclined to endorse conventional expectations
regarding the behavior and societal roles of men and women. This tendency highlights the
potential of nostalgia to subtly undermine contemporary efforts toward gender equality by
idealizing and perpetuating outdated social structures.
Furthermore, nostalgic feelings were associated with a greater acceptance of politically incorrect
humor. Individuals were more likely to perceive such humor as acceptable or less offensive when
in a nostalgic state of mind, reflecting nostalgia’s broader link to conservative social attitudes
and a desire to maintain or return to prior cultural norms. Together, these findings illustrate that
while nostalgia can provide emotional comfort and a sense of continuity, it may also contribute
to resistance against social change and critical evaluation of past practices. “Furthermore, our
findings point to an irrationality that was not made explicit in existing work: we found that the
effects even extend to people who should understand the undesirability of a return to the past the
most.” p. 14. This indicates that nostalgia is not realized at the level of rational understanding,
but through idealized sensations and emotional attraction. Thanks to these findings, Lammers et.
al (2025) have shown how nostalgia, which is often considered a harmless or even soothing
emotion, can reinforce outdated and regressive social norms.

Conclusion
Nostalgia is a complex that has both positive and negative consequences once it occurs.
Although nostalgia can be one of the potential solutions to problems of personal and mental
well-being, it can also entail a number of difficulties due to the idealization of the past and the
resulting reluctance to useful or necessary innovations. While in one case nostalgia can help to
cope with certain difficulties occurring in the life of an individual, such as in the case of students
in need of psychological help, in another case it can also lead to socially widespread problems in
modern society due to the reluctance to change. Therefore, although nostalgia can be a useful
tool for people coping with personal difficulties, its social impact requires careful consideration,
especially when it contributes to resistance to necessary progress.

References
Abramov, R. N. (2012). Time and space of nostalgia. Sociological Journal, (4), 6–23.
https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vremya-i-prostranstvo-nostalgii/viewer
Hussain, S. A., & Alhabash, S. (2022). Effect of nostalgia as a motivational force for depressed
students to seek professional psychological help. Journal of American College Health,
70(2), 484–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1754838
Lammers, J., Alaukik, A., & Baldwin, M. (2025). When longing goes wrong: Nostalgia can cause a preference for harmful aspects of the past. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 25, e70000. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.70000
Wood, A. M., & Johnson, J. (Eds.). (2016). The Wiley handbook of positive clinical psychology. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ccny-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4513033
Umar Ismail, S., Cheston, R., Christopher, G., & Meyrick, J. (2018). Nostalgia as a psychological resource for people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence of effectiveness from experimental studies. Dementia, 19(2), 330–351.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301218774909
Yang, Z., Wildschut, T., Izuma, K., Gu, R., Luo, Y. L. L., Cai, H., & Sedikides, C. (2022). Patterns of brain activity associated with nostalgia: A social-cognitive neuroscience perspective. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 17(12), 1131–1144.
https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsac036

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