Larisa V. Mararitsa

Background. The inconsistent evidence regarding nostalgia’s affective outcomes suggests that its effects may not be uniform, but contingent on individual characteristics, a possibility that has received limited empirical attention.

Objective. To examine how induced nostalgia influences positive and negative affect, while accounting for age, gender, and overall well-being.

Design. A sample of 122 participants (balanced by gender and across three age groups: 20-35, 36-50, and 51-65 years) completed an Event Reflection Task to elicit either nostalgic memories or recollections of daily life events. Positive and negative affect were measured before and after the nostalgia induction and general well-being was measured after the intervention.

Results. Negative and ambivalent affect decreased after both experimental and control interventions. Gender and age did not moderate the effect of nostalgia induction on affect. Well-being moderated affective outcomes of nostalgia induction, with individuals higher in well-being experiencing greater increases in positive affect and greater decreases in negative and ambivalent affect (co-activation of positive and negative affect) after nostalgia induction.

Conclusion. The emotional impact of nostalgia appears to be independent of age or gender, but affected by individual differences in well-being. These findings help to clarify previous inconsistencies in the literature and suggest that nostalgia may be most emotionally beneficial for those already in a stable emotional state.

Background. Gender inequality continues to reproduce itself in hidden and ambivalent forms and leads to invisible barriers in women's careers and lives. The authors were interested in how social perceptions of gender differences would relate to the maintenance of gender inequality in various spheres of life.

Objective. The purpose of the presented research was to study social perceptions of gender differences in relation to the subjective significance of the gender inequality issue.

Design. The study was conducted via an online survey throughout February-September of 2019. The sample included 106 people aged 18 to 68 (M = 30.2, σ = 10.5), 49% of respondents were women. The authors have developed and tested a questionnaire assessing the adherence to ideas regarding evident gender differences in various spheres of life. The reliability of all scales of the questionnaire has been tested. Respondents also completed a questionnaire identifying their perceptions of gender inequality and shared their life experience with respect to this phenomenon in the form of free description.

Results. The following two latent factors reflecting different aspects of gender perceptions have been identified: “Career Inequality” and “Differences in Social Spheres”. Indicators of the subjective significance of gender inequality (which include gender awareness, frequency of gender inequality witnessing, personal experience of gender discrimination and the emotional significance of this experience) were positively correlated with perceptions of career inequalities (these support ideas regarding gender differences when it comes to opportunities for professional realization) and negatively correlated with perceptions of differences within social spheres (these support ideas regarding the existence of essential gender differences within the family, politics and everyday life).

Conclusion. Articulation of personal experiences of gender inequality is associated with social perceptions of the absence of essential gender differences in various social domains (egalitarianism) and sensitivity to gender inequality with regards to career opportunities.