TITLE:
Positive Function of Nostalgia Mediated the Relationship between Positive Nostalgia Proneness and Life Satisfaction or Subjective Happiness
AUTHORS:
Michiyo Ando
KEYWORDS:
Positive Nostalgia Proneness, Positive Function of Nostalgia, Subjective Happiness, Life Satisfaction, Meaning of Life
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.12 No.11,
November
15,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: Nostalgia means sweet or bitter memories of people’ s life. Since it relates with psychological well-being, various studies about nostalgia have been conducted. However, it has not been clear of a path among nostalgia proneness, positive function of nostalgia, and well-being like happiness or life satisfaction. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate a hypothesis that positive function of nostalgia mediated the relation between positive nostalgia proneness and subjective happiness or life satisfaction using a path analysis. Method: Participants were healthy twenty elders. They participated in collage therapy once for about 90 hours, they remembered past of their lives or daily life. After the therapy, they completed questionnaires of nostalgia proneness (Positive, Negative), positive function of nostalgia (Social Connectedness, Self-Continuity, Meaning of life, Self-Clarification), Subjective Happiness and Life Satisfaction scale. We conducted a correlation analysis and a path analysis. The ethical committee permitted the study. Results: The Positive nostalgia proneness correlated with all 4 factors of positive function of nostalgia, and all 4 factors correlated with Life Satisfaction and Subjective Happiness. In the path analysis, Positive nostalgia proneness significantly affected Social Connectedness, and Social Connectedness affected Subjective Happiness. And Positive nostalgia proneness significantly affected Meaning of life, and Meaning of life affected Subjective Happiness and Life Satisfaction. Conclusion: Social Connectedness mediated the relationship between Positive nostalgia proneness and Subjective Happiness. Meaning of life mediated the relationship between Positive nostalgia proneness and Subjective Happiness or Life Satisfaction. The hypothesis that positive function of nostalgia mediated the relation between positive nostalgia proneness and subjective happiness or life satisfaction was approved.