Age and Gender Impacts on Nostalgia
Author Information
Author(s): Jennifer Turner, Tim Wildschut, Constantine Sedikides
Primary Institution: University of Hawaii Hilo, University of Southampton
Hypothesis
Age and gender influence the endorsement of nostalgia over time.
Conclusion
Older adults experience more nostalgia than younger adults, and women are generally more nostalgic than men, although men's nostalgia increases with age.
Supporting Evidence
- Older adults reported more nostalgia compared to younger adults.
- Women were found to be more nostalgic than men on average.
- Men's nostalgia increases with age, while women's nostalgia does not show the same pattern.
Takeaway
This study found that older people feel nostalgic more than younger people, and women tend to feel nostalgic more than men, especially as they get older.
Methodology
The study used a longitudinal design with a nationally-representative sample and assessed nostalgia using the Southampton Nostalgia Scale across eight waves from 2012 to 2019.
Limitations
The study is limited to Dutch-speaking participants and may not generalize to other populations.
Participant Demographics
Participants ranged in age from 9 to 93 years, with a mean age of 48.59 years and 53.5% being women.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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