Trait nostalgia: Four scales and a recommendation.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Individual Differences
• Cross-Cultural Psychology

Background:

• Nostalgia is a complex emotion with individual differences.
• Several scales exist to measure trait-level nostalgia.
• Understanding the psychometric properties of these scales is crucial for research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and examine the convergent validity of four established trait nostalgia scales.
• To assess the cross-cultural invariance of these scales.
• To provide recommendations for measuring trait nostalgia.

Main Methods:

• Re-analysis of existing data where four scales were administered simultaneously.
• Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were employed.
• Examination of metric and scalar invariance across U.S. and Chinese samples.

Main Results:

• A one-factor model demonstrated strong convergent validity, accurately describing interrelations among the four scales.
• Full metric and partial scalar invariance were supported across U.S. and Chinese samples.
• The scales consistently measure trait nostalgia across different cultural contexts.

Conclusions:

• The reviewed scales are valid and reliable measures of trait nostalgia.
• Researchers can confidently use these scales, particularly in cross-cultural research.
• Controlling for confounding factors like brooding rumination is recommended for precise measurement.