Unfolding Nostalgia: Spatial Visualization, Nostalgia, and Well-Being

Research has shown that nostalgia can have psychological benefits, for example, by recreating comforting memories from the past. These memories often unfold in mental space, where one recreates events, people, objects, etc. Therefore, individual differences in nostalgic experience may relate to the ability to process spatial information. The aim of the current study was to investigate the links among spatial ability, imagery, nostalgia, and well-being. In total, 521 participants (Mage 27.7 years; SD = 12.14; 400 women) completed the following measures: Well-Being Inventory (WHO5), Neuroticism scale from BFI-2-S, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Inventory (GAD7), Southampton Nostalgia Proneness test, Nostalgia Content test, and Paper Folding—a spatial visualization test (SV). The SV did not correlate with nostalgia proneness. However, when only spatially related items were selected from the Nostalgia Content Questionnaire, the “Spatial Nostalgia Score” was positively linked with the SV and nostalgia proneness. This measure is also positively linked with well-being after controlling for anxiety (but not neuroticism). The current study provided new insights into the links between nostalgia and well-being by incorporating spatial visualization as an important element of nostalgia. Taken together, the results suggest that individual differences in the SV may be linked to spatial aspects of nostalgic experiences. This study identified directions for further measurement development and future experimental studies.