@article{2020:wulf:being_a_ki,
title = {Being a kid again: Playing Pokémon Go contributes to wellbeing through nostalgia},
year = {2020},
note = {This research investigates the augmented-reality smartphone game
Pokémon Go and proposes that nostalgia is one particular reason for
the game’s popularity and success. We propose that nostalgia acts as
both a precursor to individuals’ desire to play the game, and a
variable that predicts entertainment experiences and well-being while
using the game. Two studies investigate these predictions. Study 1 was
conducted in Germany before the game’s release in 2016 and shows
that the meaning players ascribe to Pokémon predicted anticipated
nostalgia, which in turn motivated them to play the game. Study 2
replicates and extends these findings in an American sample after the
game’s release. Again, meaningfulness of Pokémon predicted
game-induced nostalgia, which mediated the effect of meaningfulness on
eudaimonic entertainment. Eudaimonic entertainment, in turn, predicted
psychological well-being. Taken together, these findings draw a
bi-directional link between nostalgia and media consumption and
substantiate research regarding the well-being functions of both.},
journal = {SCM Studies in Communication and Media},
pages = {241--263},
author = {Wulf, Tim and Baldwin, Matthew},
volume = {9},
number = {2}
}