Nostalgia encourages exploration and fosters uncertainty in response to AI technology.

Journal: The British journal of social psychology
PMID: 39729042

Abstract

The burgeoning progress of cutting-edge technology paradoxically evokes nostalgia. How does this emotion influence responses to innovative technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)? We hypothesized that two pathways operate concurrently. First, by enhancing connection with significant others, nostalgia constitutes a psychological resource that supports exploration of technological innovation, thereby promoting positive responses to AI. Second, by reinforcing scepticism toward change, nostalgia heightens uncertainty about innovative technology, thereby fostering negative responses to AI. Three preregistered experiments, testing participants (ΣN = 1397) across cultures (China, UK, USA), supported the two pathways. Nostalgia influenced responses to ChatGPT via two opposing serial pathways (Experiment 1). Further, social connectedness bolstered favourable responses to AI avatars via increased technology exploration (Experiment 2), whereas scepticism about change reduced favourable responses to companion robots via increased technology uncertainty (Experiment 3). This dualistic role of nostalgia can be harnessed to sustain new technology or instill caution for its risks.

Authors

  • Jianning Dang
    Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: jndang@bnu.edu.cn.
  • Constantine Sedikides
    Center for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
  • Tim Wildschut
    Center for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
  • Li Liu
    Metanotitia Inc., Shenzhen, China.

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