Does Nostalgia Promote Personal Growth and Happiness? The Case of Field Hockey in Singapore

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of leisure nostalgia on perceived leisure benefits, personal growth, and happiness among individuals who regularly participate in leisure activities. A total of 305 responses were collected from college students who actively participate in field hockey in Singapore. Results indicated that leisure nostalgia had a positive influence on perceived leisure benefits, while there were no direct influences of leisure nostalgia on personal growth and happiness. Moreover, perceived leisure benefits had a positive impact on personal growth, which, in turn, had a positive influence on happiness. However, the direct path from perceived leisure benefits to happiness was not significant. Additionally, the analysis of multiple indirect effects found significant relationships between leisure nostalgia and happiness, between leisure nostalgia and personal growth, and between perceived leisure benefits and happiness. This study extended the understanding of nostalgia in the context of leisure.