The past that ties us together: nostalgia strengthens social networks

Abstract

Some people are more prone to experience and value nostalgia–an emotion that often reminds us of important relationships–than others. In this research, we propose that this propensity may not only influence how we remember our social ties, but also directly affect the structure of our social network. Across three studies involving undergraduate students, online panel participants, and a population-based longitudinal sample (N = 1,467), we found that trait-like nostalgia was associated with increased motivation to maintain social networks, which in turn predicted the number of close social ties. In other words, those who value nostalgia and experience it more frequently are more motivated to strengthen important relationships, which helps mitigate the loss of these bonds over the life span. These findings contribute to our understanding of the social nature of nostalgia and highlight its role in regulating our social networks.