The I in Us: Personality influences the expression of collective nostalgia. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stefaniak, Anna; Wohl, Michael J.A.; Blais, Julie; Pruysers, Scott
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 187(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: Collective nostalgia -- Personality -- HEXACO -- Openness-focused nostalgia -- Homogeneity-focused nostalgia -- Political orientation; Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111392
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Abstract: Inspired by calls for a greater integration of personality and social psychology, we tested whether personality traits (measured using the HEXACO model) predicted the expression of collective nostalgia—a group-based emotion that reflects sentimental longing for the past of one's social group. Results of a representative sample study conducted among Canadians showed that personality traits predicted the content of the collective nostalgia group members felt, above and beyond individual level socio-demographic characteristics and political orientation. Openness-focused nostalgia was predicted by greater openness to experience, agreeableness, and emotionality, whereas nostalgia for a homogenous society of the past was predicted by lower scores on honesty-humility and openness to experiences as well as greater emotionality and agreeableness. These findings show that individual and group-level phenomena are intertwined, which may help explain intra-group variation in beliefs and behaviors.