The authors begin presenting the situation that people are often reluctant to seek help, something that causes a variety of real-life problems. After an introduction, the authors define nostalgia, a bittersweet (though generally positive-valenced), approach-oriented, and low-arousal emotion that we are all familiar with. They then present the research that supports that nostalgia is highly social, from three main literature trends: From the analysis of the content of nostalgic narratives, from its correlation with the need for social connectedness (this is, that nostalgia measures higher when the need for social connectedness is higher), and as a cause of social connectedness.
Finally, they add the empirical fact that nostalgia promotes approach-oriented interpersonal behaviors, including helping behavior and being more comfortable in social situations. The authors explained the influence of nostalgia on these approach-oriented behaviors as a manifestation of the emotion’s social character.
Having these bases on mind, the authors hypothesized that nostalgia might promote help-seeking behaviors (that are also approach-oriented interpersonal behaviors); and that this might be mediated by social connectedness.
The researchers conducted a series of experiments to test the hypotheses. They began with a preliminary study, that tested that nostalgia (independent of other emotions) correlated with help-seeking behavior. Their first experiment tested nostalgia as a cause of help-seeking behavior (or at least, the self-reported prediction of help-seeking behavior). The second experiment showed that social connectedness mediated the (reported prediction of) help-seeking behavior. The next experiment tested, with a behavioral measurement instead of a self-report, that nostalgia facilitated help-seeking behavior. The fourth experiment provided evidence that (measured) social connectedness mediated the effect of nostalgia on seeking behavior. Finally, the last experiment manipulated the social character of nostalgia, instead of measuring it, to conclude that nostalgia promotes help-seeking behavior due to its social character. It was also found in this last experiment that “nonsocial nostalgia” didn’t increase help seeking significantly when compared to the control group.
In the discussion, the authors commented on the possible utility of nostalgia, that practically always contains a social component. Besides of past proposed applications of nostalgia (e. g. , promoting help-giving behavior), they found evidence that it could be used to promote another approach-oriented interpersonal behavior: help-seeking. In addition, they suggested that nostalgia could be used not only to meet the needs of social connectedness (e. g. , to face loneliness), but also to garner the social connectedness that is valuable in order to have the psychological strength to seek help; especially on key moments when there is a lack of a person’s existent support network and help-seeking is most beneficial.
The authors finished suggesting two main lines that future studies might follow. The first was to explore why social connectedness increases help-seeking behavior. They hypothesized that the increased sense of social connectedness can help overcoming barriers to help-seeking (e. g. , risk of rejection, impression management, failure of an opportunity to reciprocate). They also proposed that social connectedness could make us view others more positively, dependable and supportive; something that would make us be more likely to ask for help.
The second suggested line of research was to test whether nostalgia (possibly through the mediation of social connectedness) helped breaking external barriers such as status difference, attractiveness, or ethnicity; that were shown to inhibit help-seeking behavior. 
The  
authors
  begin
 presenting the situation that  
people
 are  
often
 reluctant to seek  
help
, something that causes a variety of real-life problems. After an introduction, the  
authors
 define  
nostalgia
, a bittersweet (though  
generally
  positive-valenced
), approach-oriented, and low-arousal emotion that we are all familiar with. They then present the research that supports that  
nostalgia
 is  
highly
  social
, from three main literature trends: From the analysis of the content of nostalgic narratives, from its correlation with the need for  
social
  connectedness
 (this is, that  
nostalgia
 measures higher when the need for  
social
  connectedness
 is higher), and as a cause of  
social
 connectedness. 
Finally
, they  
add
 the empirical fact that  
nostalgia
  promotes
 approach-oriented interpersonal  
behaviors
, including helping  
behavior
 and being more comfortable in  
social
 situations. The  
authors
  explained
 the influence of  
nostalgia
 on these approach-oriented  
behaviors
 as a manifestation of the emotion’s  
social
 character.
Having these bases on mind, the  
authors
 hypothesized that  
nostalgia
 might  
promote
  help
-seeking  
behaviors
 (that are  
also
 approach-oriented interpersonal  
behaviors)
; and that this might  
be mediated
 by  
social
 connectedness.
The researchers conducted a series of  
experiments
 to  
test
 the hypotheses. They began with a preliminary study, that  
tested
 that  
nostalgia
 (independent of other emotions) correlated with  
help
-seeking  
behavior
. Their  
first
  experiment
  tested
  nostalgia
 as a cause of  
help
-seeking  
behavior
 (or at least, the self-reported prediction of  
help
-seeking  
behavior)
. The second  
experiment
  showed
 that  
social
  connectedness
 mediated the (reported prediction of)  
help
-seeking  
behavior
. The  
next
  experiment
  tested
, with a behavioral measurement  
instead
 of a self-report, that  
nostalgia
 facilitated  
help
-seeking  
behavior
.  
The
 fourth  
experiment
 provided evidence that (measured)  
social
  connectedness
 mediated the effect of  
nostalgia
 on seeking  
behavior
.  
Finally
, the last  
experiment
 manipulated the  
social
 character of  
nostalgia
,  
instead
 of measuring it,  
to conclude
 that  
nostalgia
  promotes
  help
-seeking  
behavior
 due to its  
social
 character. It was  
also
 found in this last  
experiment
 that “nonsocial  
nostalgia”
 didn’t increase  
help
  seeking
  significantly
 when compared to the control group.
In the discussion, the  
authors
 commented on the possible utility of  
nostalgia
, that  
practically
 always contains a  
social
 component.  
Besides
 of past proposed applications of  
nostalgia
 ( 
e. g.
  ,
 promoting  
help
-giving  
behavior)
, they found evidence that it could be  
used
 to  
promote
 another approach-oriented interpersonal  
behavior
:  
help
-seeking.  
In addition
, they suggested that  
nostalgia
 could be  
used
 not  
only
 to  
meet
 the needs of  
social
  connectedness
 ( 
e. g.
  ,
 to face loneliness),  
but
  also
 to garner the  
social
  connectedness
  that is
 valuable in order to have the psychological strength to seek  
help
;  
especially
 on key moments when there is a lack of a person’s existent support network and  
help
-seeking is most beneficial.
The  
authors
 finished suggesting two main lines that future studies might follow. The  
first
 was to explore why  
social
  connectedness
 increases  
help
-seeking  
behavior
. They hypothesized that the increased sense of  
social
  connectedness
 can  
help
  overcoming
 barriers to  
help
-seeking ( 
e. g.
  ,
  risk
 of rejection, impression management, failure of an opportunity to reciprocate). They  
also
 proposed that  
social
  connectedness
 could  
make
 us view others more  
positively
, dependable and supportive; something that would  
make
 us be more likely to  
ask for
  help
.
The second suggested line of research was to  
test
 whether  
nostalgia
 ( 
possibly
 through the mediation of  
social
  connectedness)
  helped
  breaking
 external barriers such as status difference, attractiveness, or ethnicity; that  
were shown
 to inhibit  
help
-seeking  
behavior
.