The Influence Of Nostalgia In The Domains Of Money And Health

Abstract

While nostalgia is a prominent theme in marketing, very little is known about how feeling nostalgic influences consumers' attitudes, motivations, and behaviors. Much research on nostalgia in the consumer domain has been somewhat limited to conceptualizing nostalgia as a characteristic of products (e.g., Holbrook and Schindler 1989, 1994; Schindler and Holbrook 2003), and has studied why consumers favor nostalgic, relative to neutral, products. Recent research on nostalgia revolves around nostalgia-evoked aspects of well-being, namely social support and meaning in life (e.g. Juhl et al. 2010; Wildschult et al. 2006; Zhou et al. 2008). Much of this recent research has shown the restorative and buffering functions of nostalgia. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine if and how nostalgia influences consumer attitudes, behaviors, and motivations in the realms of money and health. To do so, I made links among nostalgia, well-being, and lay perceptions of what constitutes a good life. I extended prior findings by demonstrating the influence of nostalgia across the domains of money and health, two areas that are not directly linked to the aspects of well-being elicited by nostalgia. Furthermore, my research was not concerned with the restorative or buffering function of nostalgia, rather, I primarily focused on how nostalgia influences attitudes, behaviors, and cognitions across two domains that are of utmost importance to people's lives (Bowling 1995). Past research and preliminary findings from this dissertation have shown that when people are reminded of what constitutes a good life, they find money relatively less desirable (King and Napa 1989), and health relatively more desirable (chapter 1 pretest). Following this logic, I formulated two hypotheses, which I tested separately in two different essays. In essay #1, "Nostalgia Weakens the Desire for Money," I tested the hypothesis that those in a nostalgic, relative to neutral, state would find money less desirable. Findings supported my prediction; across five experiments I found that nostalgia participants indicated less desire for money. In essay #2, "Nostalgia Increases Receptiveness to Self-Threatening Health Information," I tested the hypothesis that those in a nostalgic, relative to neutral, state would be more receptive to self-threatening health information. Findings were inconclusive; in two studies nostalgia increased receptiveness to self-threatening health information, in one study nostalgia decreased receptiveness to self-threatening health information.