Does digital hoarding lead to nostalgic consumption? The dual mediating effects of cognitive dissonance and emotional memory linkage

Purpose Based on cognitive dissonance theory and emotional memory linkage theory, this study proposes a serial mediation model of “digital hoarding → cognitive dissonance → emotional memory linkage → nostalgic consumption”, aiming at exploring how digital hoarding can drive individual's nostalgic consumption behaviors through psychological mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach We conducted two scenario experiments to systematically examine these relationships. Experiment 1, which exposed participants to a digital hoarding context through situational manipulation, revealed that digital hoarding significantly and positively predicts nostalgic consumption intention. Experiment 2 introduced scales for cognitive dissonance and emotional memory linkage, with the bootstrap method applied to examine mediating effects. Findings The results showed that digital hoarding significantly increases nostalgic consumption intention. Cognitive dissonance and emotional memory linkage independently mediate this relationship, concurrently forming a sequential pathway where cognitive dissonance activates nostalgic memory retrieval, ultimately amplifying nostalgic consumption desire. Originality/value This study expands the positive value dimensions of digital hoarding research from the interdisciplinary perspective of consumer behavior and psychology, establishes a novel paradigm for understanding emotional compensation mechanisms under technology-induced stress, and provides a theoretical foundation for businesses to design nostalgia-oriented marketing strategies and refine digital asset management tools.