The Past Present Trade-Off: Nostalgia, Mindfulness, and Intolerance of Uncertainty

Nostalgia and mindfulness have demonstrated strong positive benefits on well-being. However, they represent competing modes of thought: nostalgia requires orientation to the past while mindfulness requires orientation to the present. Why do some people prefer the past over the present? In the current study, we provide evidence for a past-present trade-off characterized by fear of the unknown (measured by intolerance of uncertainty). Online survey participants (n = 300) completed measures of individual differences in trait intolerance of uncertainty (IUS), mindfulness (FFMQ), nostalgia (SNS) and autobiographical memory (ART). Intolerance of uncertainty was positively associated with trait nostalgia (r = 0.25) but negatively associated with trait mindfulness (r = -0.38). Nostalgia and mindfulness were not significantly correlated. Components of nostalgia and mindfulness were variably but significantly predictive of components of intolerance of uncertainty. Although both nostalgia and mindfulness can have positive effects on psychological well-being, our results suggest these approaches are differentially selected, as trait nostalgia is likely to be associated in those high in intolerance of uncertainty, and mindfulness with those low in intolerance of uncertainty.