Analysis: nostalgia is a simple reminder that difficult times are far from permanent
When I recall the beginning of social restrictions earlier this year, my mind drifts back to an even earlier time. The Boys in Green documentary chronicled the glory days of Irish soccer in the late 1980s under Jack Charlton. If you tuned in at the time, you may have felt a stronger sense of nostalgia than normal, or at least you may recall it that way.
This year, many of us found ourselves in the grips of nostalgic reverie while revisiting childhood hobbies or reminiscing with family and friends over virtual calls. Part of my research explores how such activities confer psychological benefits and enable us to experience an enhanced sense of meaning in life. Indeed, experimental psychology has long documented the social functions of memory recall and the power of nostalgia as a psychological resource.
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From RTÉ's Late Late Show, the Republic of Ireland team perform "We are the Boys in Green" in 1988
Social restrictions certainly have the potential to make life appear meaningless. Meaninglessness is a correlate of both boredom and social isolation, which are an inescapable part of social restriction for most. Briefly put, there are three components of a sense of meaning: coherence, significance, and purpose.
Disruption to your daily routine, social isolation and an inability to work productively (if at all) strongly threaten these components respectively. In extreme circumstances, persistent feelings of low meaning can precipitate disillusionment and depression. As bleak as this may sound, people tend to be resilient, and much of our research focuses on our capacity to cope, find purpose and retain a sense of fulfilment in moments of crises. As existential thinkers commonly attest, human beings are 'meaning makers’.
Ongoing research at the University of Southampton on the science of nostalgic reflection found that most people experience nostalgia at least once a week, and sensory cues such as smells and music are a particularly potent trigger. Nostalgic memories commonly include momentous occasions (ie graduations, weddings), picturing yourself in the presence of valued others (such as holidays with family or friends) or simple reminders of childhood and home (classic movies/TV).
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Ryan Tubridy Show, author John Connolly on the psychology of nostalgia and its importance in our lives.
Importantly, these experiences serve as a psychological form of social connectedness and a means to experience a sense of self-continuity. Consistently, empirical evidence shows that nostalgic feelings boost our sense of meaning in life and insulate us from the negative effects of social isolation.
For example, in a series of experiments, published recently in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, my colleagues and I demonstrated that nostalgic reflection provides solace and comfort in the face of meaning loss. Specifically, we got disillusioned participants (who experienced low meaning) to either engage in nostalgic reflection or perform a simple task, and we also had two control groups doing one or the other.
Our results revealed that disillusioned participants who did not engage in nostalgic reflection had significantly lower levels of perceived meaning compared to controls. However, for those who did engage in nostalgic reflection, there was no difference. This evidence suggests that nostalgia served as a meaning resource for disillusioned individuals.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's History Show, cultural historian Elaine Sisson and design historian, Linda King on nostalgia and re-exploring the past.
Importantly, we also demonstrated that this is an automatic process for many. Simply having the opportunity to retrieve a memory, led to greater levels of nostalgia for those who were reminded of disillusioning events, compared to those who were not. In other words, the presence of meaning threat led participants to imbue their memory recall with nostalgic reverie.
The value of nostalgia as a meaning resource has also been demonstrated in previous studies documenting its ability to assuage feelings of boredom and loneliness. The link here is that disillusionment, boredom and loneliness are states of existential concern. Like the pandemic, they call into question our sense of coherence, significance and purpose, and signal the prospect of meaninglessness. However, under conditions of existential threat, nostalgic reflection can provide a window to a socially fulfilling past that restores a sense of meaning by amplifying feelings of social support and connection.
Nostalgic reflection can provide a window to a socially fulfilling past that restores a sense of meaning
Of course, there are many ways people have endeavoured to maintain meaning during the ongoing pandemic. Some people have put their faith in leaders, devoted time to helping out vulnerable others in their local communities or purchased expensive gym equipment to maintain fitness goals. Distinct from these pursuits, nostalgic reflection is a self-regulatory process and is a mental resource accessible to us all. It is a simple reminder that life is full of meaning and significance, and that our difficult times are far from permanent.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
