Diverging Paths to the Self: The Distinct Psychological Roles of Nostalgia and Declinism in Personal Growth.

ABSTRACT: We investigated how nostalgia and declinism, two distinct forms of past-oriented reflection, differentially relate to personal growth. In preregistered cross-sectional Study 1 (N = 810, Chinese sample), we measured nostalgia using three instruments: the Southampton Nostalgia Scale (SNS), the Nostalgia Inventory (NI), and the Personal Inventory of Nostalgic Experiences (PINE). Although SNS- and NI-based nostalgia were positively associated with personal growth and uncorrelated with declinism, PINE-based nostalgia was positively linked to declinism and unrelated to growth. Canonical correlation analysis further indicated conceptual overlap between PINE items and declinism. In experimental Study 2 (N = 360, Chinese sample), we manipulated nostalgia and declinism with the Event R

SUBMITTER: Feng Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12561087 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature