Abstract
"Whilst nostalgia, a positive emotion, increases well-being, this benefit can be inhibited by attachment insecurity. To date, research has not assessed the pathways that lead attachment insecure individuals to gain less well-being from nostalgia. In line with this, this thesis has three broad aims as follows: i) to assess attachment differences in three contexts of nostalgia: content of nostalgia narratives, the benefits of nostalgia, and the buffering capacity of nostalgia; ii) to explore the role of two pathways: emotion regulation (ER) and cognitive representation and iii) to assess the relative impact of a nostalgia based intervention on well-being compared to other positive psychology interventions. These aims were addressed through six empirical studies.
Study One used secondary data of nostalgia narratives (n = 431). The results showed that attachment orientations predicted the content of nostalgia narratives within the social theme, self theme, attachment-mentions theme, and general feelings theme. Study Two used an experimental design to induce nostalgia vs an ordinary event (n = 278) and assess their impact on well-being. The results showed that attachment insecurity inhibits the benefits of nostalgia through ineffective ER. Study Three and Four assessed the buffering capacity of nostalgia using experimental designs focusing on two threats: ostracism and loneliness. Study Three induced participants (n = 150) in ostracism (vs. inclusion) then nostalgia (vs. an ordinary-event). The results showed that avoidance inhibited the buffering capacity of nostalgia through suppression and dampening, however, anxiety did not inhibit the buffering capacity of nostalgia during ostracism. Study Four induced participants (n = 178) in high-loneliness (vs. low-loneliness) then nostalgia (vs. an ordinary-event). The results showed that avoidance did not inhibit the buffering capacity of nostalgia during loneliness, however, anxiety inhibited the buffering capacity of nostalgia through rumination. Study Five (n = 261) compared the effectiveness of four positive psychology interventions during the COVID-19. The results showed that other interventions (gratitude, Best Possible Self) outperformed nostalgia at increasing well-being. Lastly, Study Six (n = 201) used data from Studies Two and Five to assess the role of state nostalgia. The analysis showed that anxiety inhibits well-being from nostalgia due to less state nostalgia. Overall, the results from this thesis indicate that there are attachment differences in the content, benefits, and buffering capacity of nostalgia that are explained through ER and that nostalgia is not as effective at increasing well-being compared to gratitude and Best Possible Self interventions. The results are discussed in terms of the role of ER in explaining the relationship between high attachment insecurity and gaining less well-being from nostalgia, and nostalgia as positive psychology intervention."