When longing goes wrong: Nostalgia can cause a preference for harmful aspects of the past

Abstract

Nostalgia has many benefits for individuals; it can increase meaning, well-being, and belongingness. In contrast, we show in six studies the harmful policy implications of nostalgia. We propose that nostalgia can lead people to appreciate negative aspects of the past and oppose modern measures to reduce them, with negative implications for health, safety, and well-being. Four correlational studies (N_total = 3081) show that nostalgia proneness correlates with opposition to smoke-free laws, discounting of car-safety, opposition to gender equality, and enjoyment of politically incorrect humor. Two experimental studies (N_total = 1004) causally link nostalgia to these beliefs. Speaking to their irrational nature, these effects occurred even among people who are aware of the negative consequences of these aspects of the past for health, safety, and well-being. For example, even nostalgic non-smokers longed back to the smoke-filled bars of the past. Given the noted rise in nostalgia in Western society in response to societal change, these findings have important policy implications.

Public Significance Statement: We show that people who are more likely to experience nostalgia tend to redefine negative elements of the past as positive. For example, they oppose smoke-free laws or discount car-safety. Given that nostalgia is commonly experienced when people feel lost in a fast-changing world, these findings suggest a need to provide consistency and meaning, especially during times of rapid societal change.