Dreaming of a White Christmas: Examining Nostalgia, Trend Perceptions, & Climate Change Attitudes
Location
PANEL: Challenging Predictions, Patterns, and Expectations of Human Social Behavior
Wilder Hall 112
Document Type
Presentation - Open Access
Start Date
5-13-2022 3:00 PM
End Date
5-13-2022 4:30 PM
Abstract
Due to the common media portrayal of a “white Christmas” (WC), many Americans idealize snowfall during the Christmas holiday. For those living in regions that experience snowfall, this may foster a sense of nostalgia for past WCs. This study investigates how this nostalgia shapes memory for the number of WCs experienced in the past and, in turn, how these memories influence estimations of future WCs. Participants tended to estimate a steep decline in WCs over time, both when remembering the past and estimating the future. Moreover, predictions of future WCs were related to attitudes about climate change, suggesting that nostalgia can be incorporated into strategies to promote sustainability.
Keywords:
Memory, Nostalgia, Climate change, Trend perception
Recommended Citation
Tuzzolino, Kasia, "Dreaming of a White Christmas: Examining Nostalgia, Trend Perceptions, & Climate Change Attitudes" (2022). Research Symposium. 12.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2022/presentations/12
Project Mentor(s)
Clinton Merck, Psychology
2022
Dreaming of a White Christmas: Examining Nostalgia, Trend Perceptions, & Climate Change Attitudes
PANEL: Challenging Predictions, Patterns, and Expectations of Human Social Behavior
Wilder Hall 112
Due to the common media portrayal of a “white Christmas” (WC), many Americans idealize snowfall during the Christmas holiday. For those living in regions that experience snowfall, this may foster a sense of nostalgia for past WCs. This study investigates how this nostalgia shapes memory for the number of WCs experienced in the past and, in turn, how these memories influence estimations of future WCs. Participants tended to estimate a steep decline in WCs over time, both when remembering the past and estimating the future. Moreover, predictions of future WCs were related to attitudes about climate change, suggesting that nostalgia can be incorporated into strategies to promote sustainability.
