Abstract
The present study examines the influence of nostalgic feelings induced by music on the recall of autobiographical memory. Fifty-seven undergraduates were asked to describe autobiographical memories from their upper-grades at elementary school or junior high-school days and the music they listened to during their upper-grades at elementary school. One month later, they were asked to decide whether episodes presented on a screen were from their elementary school or junior high-school days. In one group, nostalgic music was also presented, while in the other groups, either no music or non-nostalgic music was played. The results indicate that the participants who experienced nostalgic feelings in the music group recalled elementary school episodes at shorter reaction times. Moreover, when nostalgia was experienced for the music that was listened to during the upper-grades of elementary school, error rates for memories for junior high school increased.
