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• Nostalgia increased positive affect relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia increased self-esteem relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia increased self-continuity relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia increased social-connectedness relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia increased meaning in life relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia increased optimism relative to brooding (but not reflection). • Nostalgia led to higher boredom reduction relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia led to higher conversation relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia led to higher intimacy maintenance relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia led to higher death preparation relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia led to lower bitterness revival relative to brooding and reflection. • Nostalgia also increased teach/inform relative to brooding (but not reflection). • The benefits of nostalgia were similar for British and Chinese participants. We sought to clarify the psychological profile of experimentally induced nostalgia, compared to two other modes of thinking about one's past—reflection and brooding—also experimentally induced. We tested both British and Chinese participants. Our main hypothesis was that nostalgia's profile is more positive in terms of six psychological benefits and seven autobiographical memory functions. The results were consistent with the hypothesis. In regard to psychological benefits, nostalgia (vs. reflection and brooding) increased positive affect, self-esteem, self-continuity, social connectedness, and meaning in life. Furthermore, nostalgia increased optimism relative to brooding (but not reflection). In regard to autobiographical memory functions, nostalgia (vs. reflection and brooding) led to higher boredom reduction, conversation, intimacy maintenance, and death preparation, as well as lower bitterness revival. Nostalgia also elevated teach/inform relative to brooding (but not reflection). The findings were similar for British and Chinese participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]