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The Power of the Past: Consumer Nostalgia As a Coping Resource Dovile Barauskaite, ISM University of Management and Economics Justina Gineikiene, ISM University of Management and Economics Bob Fennis, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

We examine novel and previously uncovered triggers and downstream consequences of nostalgia in the consumer domain – disease threats. Four experiments demonstrate that when facing disease threat, consumers experience higher need for nostalgia and show increased preferences for nostalgic products. Moreover, nostalgia is used as a coping mechanism in such situations.

[to cite]: Dovile Barauskaite, Justina Gineikiene, and Bob Fennis (2018) ,"The Power of the Past: Consumer Nostalgia As a Coping Resource", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 46, eds. Andrew Gershoff, Robert Kozinets, and Tiffany White, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 467-468.

[url]: http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/2411682/volumes/v46/NA-46

[copyright notice]: This work is copyrighted by The Association for Consumer Research. For permission to copy or use this work in whole or in part, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center at http://www.copyright.com/. The Power of the Past: Consumer Nostalgia as a Coping Resource Dovilė Barauskaitė, ISM University of Management and Economics, Lithuania Justina Gineikienė, ISM University of Management and Economics, Lithuania Bob M. Fennis, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

EXTENDED ABSTRACT and this effect would be mediated by the emotion of disgust (experi- A handful of recent studies show that nostalgia – a bittersweet ment 3, N=77). The second experiment used a single factor between- mindset of returning to one’s earlier days, characterized by associa- subjects design and willingness to buy nostalgic products as the main tions of warmth, familiarity, trust, safety, belonging and a sense of dependent variable. Experiment 3 used the same manipulation pro- protection (Hepper et al. 2012; Holak and Havlena 1998; Stern 1992) cedure and additionally tested whether experienced disgust mediates – is a valuable inner resource that can be accessed in times of dis- the impact of disease threat on consumer nostalgic preferences. Fi- tress and discomfort (Sedikides et al. 2015; Sedikides and Wildschut nally, the last experiment tested our notion that experienced nostalgia 2017) and can provide a coping value for consumers experiencing would have the capacity to compensate the protective behavior and aversive states. For example, during cold days or in cold rooms, act as a psychological coping mechanism (experiment 4, N=238). people use nostalgia to literally feel warmer (Zhou et al. 2012) or This study used a 2 (disease threat vs. control) x 2 (nostalgic vs. non- experiencing nostalgia acts as a response to self-threat (Sedikides nostalgic advertisement) between-subjects factorial design with in- et al. 2015). One such aversive and discomforting state that people dividual difference in disgust sensitivity as a measured independent confront every day is experiencing disease threat. variable and hand cleaning as the main dependent variable. Given the particular qualities of nostalgia as capturing safety, Across four experiments, we found consistent support for our comfort, and self-protection, it makes sense to propose that nostalgia hypotheses that consumers may seek nostalgic products to buffer may be particularly suitable as a psychological resource under condi- and mitigate the threat of disease. Experiment 1 showed the initial tions where these specific qualities are likely to be under threat, i.e., evidence that disease threat leads to higher levels of experienced when one is confronted with the threat of illness and disease. We sug- nostalgia. The results of experiment 2 extended this finding and gest a novel approach that when facing a disease threat, consumers demonstrated that disease threat, and not actual disease experience, will experience higher levels of nostalgia and demonstrate increased motivates consumers to choose nostalgic products. In experiment 3, preferences for nostalgic products. More importantly, this paper is we replicated the results of experiment 2 and provided further evi- the first to propose that not only disease threat triggers the need for dence for the underlying processes by revealing the mediating role of nostalgia and increases consumer nostalgic preferences, but in turn disgust. Finally, experiment 4 demonstrated that nostalgia functions nostalgia may be harnessed to buffer and mitigate the threat and itself as a psychological resource with buffering qualities and is used as a act as a coping mechanism, successfully psychologically substitut- coping mechanism to maintain comfort when experiencing disease ing other coping behaviors (i.e., washing one’s hands). We show that threat. experiencing nostalgia through product choice or advertising cues Our point of theoretical departure was that nostalgia is a valu- may be a positive psychological coping mechanism to maintain com- able psychological resource that can be accessed in times of distress fort and handle the threat of disease. Hence, our research suggests and discomfort (Sedikides et al. 2015; Sedikides and Wildschut that triggering nostalgia in the marketplace might have notable and 2017). The present research contributes to this literature in several unexpected downstream consequences for consumer welfare and ways. First, it documents a novel factor influencing nostalgic con- well-being. In contrast to the previous research showing that general sumer choices – disease threat. Next, the present research uncovers feelings of disease threat increase the likelihood of reactive behavior unexpected downstream consequences of nostalgia in the consumer and avoidance (Schaller 2014), we suggest that this aversive state domain by revealing its buffering qualities when the disease threat is may actually trigger a proactive response, i.e., the choice of nostalgic salient. The current findings are in line with the research by Zhou et products. al. (2012) which showed that nostalgia can assist in regulating not In addition, we suggest that these nostalgic preferences form only psychological self-threats, but more physical threats as well. while experiencing the emotion of disgust which is a typical response In addition, although much of the prior research (Argo, Dahl, and when facing a threat of disease and which allows us to detect and Morales 2006; Huang et al. 2017; Mortensen et al. 2010) has shown avoid the potential threat. 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