Nostalgia Promoting Pro-Social Behavior and Its Psychological Mechanism

Abstract

Nostalgia is a kind of socio-emotional that refers to personal sentimentality caused by recalling objects, people, places, experiences or feelings from the past. Studies have found nostalgia has a positive effect on the mental health and can also promote pro-social behavior of individuals. This paper reviews the promoting effect of nostalgia on the altruism, commonweal and social rule and relational pro-social behaviors. Moreover, the author puts forward possible psychological mechanisms and theoretical explanations. Future studies should further investigate the relevant psychological mechanism and moderated effects of individual differences, the study on the refinement of the nostalgia and pro-social behavior researches.