Nostalgia Causes a Preference for Regressive Social Change
A broad literature demonstrates that nostalgia – a positive emotion associated with sentimental longing for the past – offers many psychological benefits for the individual. In contrast, we present seven studies showing that nostalgia, measured and manipulated, is associated with increased support for regressive social norms and policy. In the first four studies, we show that nostalgia is associated with opposition to smoke-free laws, preference for unsafe cars, expressions of benevolent sexism and opposition to gender equality, and enjoyment of sexist, racist, and other politically incorrect humor. Studies 5 and 6 establish a causal connection between nostalgia and regressive social norms. Lastly, Study 7 shows preliminary evidence that nostalgia causes these preferences through perceptions of the past as sacred. These findings shed light on a darker side of nostalgia and highlight how progressive policies can be undermined by a longing for the past.