Analysis

The Southampton Nostalgia Scale (SNS) is designed to measure nostalgia—that is, the longing or tendency to reflect on past periods of one’s life—and the emotional impact this feeling has on an individual’s life. The scale assesses how intensely a person experiences nostalgia and what its psychological effects are.

Objective

The primary aim of the scale is to understand the experience of nostalgia and how it influences an individual’s psychological well-being and behavior.

Scoring

The SNS includes a series of questions that evaluate the intensity of nostalgia. Items are rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (very rarely) to 5 (very frequently), and may include aspects such as the frequency of nostalgic feelings, their emotional impact, and their influence on a person’s daily life.

References

Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., & Baden, D. (2004). Nostalgia: Past, present, and future. In M. C. McDermott & C. L. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of Self and Identity (pp. 201–220). Guilford Press.
Batcho, K. I. (1995). The nostalgia inventory: A measure of nostalgia proneness. Personality and Individual Differences, 19(3), 379–389.
Holak, S. L., & Havlena, W. J. (1992). Vintage: Exploring the nostalgia construct in consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 19(2), 245–256.
Routledge, C., Arndt, J., & Goldenberg, J. L. (2004). The past makes the present meaningful: Nostalgia as a psychological resource. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(5), 636–647.
Hepper, E. G., Ritchie, T. D., Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2012). Nostalgia as a resource for psychological resilience. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6(6), 612–625.