Elicited Awe Decreases Aggression

Dispositional awe negatively predicts corruption via the sense of connectedness

Corruption is a political and economic issue that has a detrimental impact on social and economic development. This study investigated the predictive effect of dispositional awe on corruption, and the underlying mechanisms from the perspective of connectedness. A sample of 548 (Nfemale = 371) individuals, aged between 16 and 71 years old (M = 21.18, SD = 3.39), was collected. Participants completed scales to measure dispositional awe, the sense of connectedness, corruption, and social desirability. Structural equation modelling and a bootstrap procedure were used to analyze the relationship between the variables. Results showed that dispositional awe negatively predicted corruption, including the tendencies for giving and accepting bribes, and this could be explained by the sense of connectedness, after controlling for the effect of social desirability. The findings highlight the significance of dispositional awe in relation to corruption, enhance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms connecting the two variables, and provide practical implications for the prevention of corruption.

Passive green space exposure leading to lower aggression: The mediating role of sense of control

Green spaces, integral to natural environments, have been extensively studied for their positive impact on mental health, yet their influence on social behavior, particularly aggression, is less explored. While prior research has predominantly emphasized the effects of actively engaging with nature, the significant role of passive nature exposure-a more common daily occurrence-has often been overlooked. We conducted two studies to explore the influence of passive green space exposure on aggression and the mediating effect of the sense of control. Study 1 (N = 240) utilized a cross-sectional survey to assess the relationship between passive green space exposure, sense of control, and aggression. Study 2 (N = 260) employed a single-factor between-subjects experimental design to further explore these relationships in a controlled environment. The results from both studies indicated that passive green space exposure is negatively related to aggression, and that this relationship is partially mediated by an increased sense of control. Specifically, passive green space exposure was found to negatively predict aggression by bolstering individuals' sense of control. These findings underscore the potential of enhancing the sense of control through environmental factors like green spaces as an effective strategy to reduce aggression. This study enriches our understanding of the broader impacts of green spaces, extending beyond mental health to include social behaviors. We discussed both the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, highlighting how urban planning and environmental design can incorporate green spaces to foster community well-being and mitigate aggressive behaviors.

A Meta-Analytic Review of the Validity of the Tangram Help/Hurt Task

The Tangram Help/Hurt Task (THHT) allows participants to help another participant win a prize (by assigning them easy tangrams), to hurt another participant by preventing them from winning the prize (by assigning them difficult tangrams), or to do neither (by assigning them medium tangrams) in offline or online studies. Consistent with calls for continued evidence supporting psychological measurement, we conducted a meta-analytic review of the THHT that included 52 independent studies involving 11,060 participants. THHT scores were associated with helping and hurting outcomes in theoretically predicted ways. Results showed that THHT scores were not only associated with short-term (experimental manipulations, state measures) and long-term (trait measures) helping and hurting outcomes, but also with helping and harming intentions. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the THHT relative to other laboratory measures of prosocial behavior and aggression, discuss unanswered questions about the task, and offer suggestions for the best use of the task.

The effects of awe on interpersonal forgiveness: the mediating role of small-self

Awe could increase prosocial behavior, but little is known about its effects on interpersonal forgiveness. This study aims to explore the potential impact of awe on interpersonal forgiveness and the underlying mechanism of this process, using a combination of questionnaires, economic game and computational modeling. In Study 1, we utilized Trait Awe Scale (TAS) and Forgiveness Trait Scale (FTS) to examine the association between trait awe and trait forgiveness. In Study 2, we employed pre-screened video to induce awe, happy and neutral emotions, then evaluated the effects of induced awe on small-self and interpersonal forgiveness in hypothetical interpersonal offensive situations (Study 2a) and two economic interaction situations (Study 2b). Results from Study 1 indicate that there is a positive correlation between trait awe and trait forgiveness. Study 2 reveal that awe can enhance interpersonal forgiveness in both interpersonal conflict situations and economic interaction situations, and this effect is mediated by the sense of small-self elicited by awe. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of the potential impact of awe on interpersonal forgiveness and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms through which awe may influence forgiveness. Further research in this area could help to elucidate the potential applications of awe-based interventions in promoting forgiveness and positive social interactions.

The Relationship Between Dispositional Awe and Reactive Aggression: The Serial Mediation Role of Trait Anger and Self-Control

Previous research has shown that state awe will decrease aggressive behavior in individuals and reduce implicit trait aggression. However, hardly any studies have been conducted to show the relationship between individual dispositional awe and reactive aggression as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms. Based on the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotion and the expanded model of awe, this study explored the effects of trait anger and self-control on the relationship between dispositional awe predicting reactive aggression. The trait anger, self-control, dispositional awe, and reactive aggression scales were completed by a total of 611 college students who were recruited from universities. The findings demonstrated a negative correlation between dispositional awe and reactive aggression (r = -.35, p < .01). The link between dispositional awe and reactive aggression is mediated by trait anger (β = -.201, 95% CI [-.25, -.15]) and self-control (β = -.038, 95% CI [-.07, -.01]). Additionally, a serial mediation effect of trait anger and self-control was observed between dispositional awe and reactive aggression (β = -.022, 95% CI [-.04, -.01]). This study reveals the relationship between dispositional awe and reactive aggression and its mechanism of effect which has some practical implications for the prevention and reduction of reactive aggression among college students.

Awe in the workplace promotes prosocial behavior

In the existing literature on awe, many research findings indicate the positive impact of awe on prosocial behavior. However, very few studies have examined awe in organizational contexts, and researchers have neglected to investigate the effect of awe induced by workplace elicitors. In a between-subject experimental study (N = 264), we introduced awe elicited by work factors, and examined its effect on prosocial intention and behavior (as compared with the neutral emotion condition and pleasantness condition). The results showed significant differences between prosocial intention and prosocial behavior in the three conditions. Importantly, awe evoked by workplace elicitors has a significant positive effect on prosocial behavior, and prosocial intention mediates this relationship. This study is among the first to examine the impact of awe induced by workplace elicitors, the results of which suggest that managers should consider creating workplaces that inspire awe.

Awe promotes moral expansiveness via the small-self

The experience of awe has been shown to challenge how people think about themselves and the world around them, linking them to something greater than themselves. We investigated whether this emotional experience of awe may also challenge the boundaries of our moral consideration, leading to a generalized expansion in our moral worlds. Across five studies (N = 990), we examined whether awe might promote moral expansiveness; that is, increased moral concern across a broad range of entities (e.g., out-groups, animals, plants, environments). Cross-sectional Studies 1a and 1b, found dispositional awe was related to greater moral expansiveness. Experimental Studies 2 and 3, using video-induced awe, found consistent indirect effects on moral expansiveness, via self-reported awe and the small-self sense of vastness. Experimental Study 4, using Virtual Reality induced awe, found those in the awe condition (vs. control) reported greater moral expansiveness, and this was fully mediated by the small-self sense of vastness. Our findings show awe expands our sense of connectedness to the broader world, and through this, increases the breath of our moral concern.

How Awe Shaped Us: An Evolutionary Perspective

Research shows the experience of awe is associated with a variety of benefits ranging from increased well-being and prosocial behavior to enhanced cognition. The adaptive purpose of awe, however, is elusive. In this article, we aim to show that the current framework used to conceptualize awe points towards higher-order cognition as the key adaptive function. This goes against past evolutionary positions that posit social benefits or unidimensional behavioral adaptations. In the second half of the article, we highlight a distinct cognitive advantage of awe. The literature connecting awe and cognition is surveyed and used to develop a view that situates awe as a critical component in the cognitive success of the human species.

Dispositional Awe Positively Predicts Prosocial Tendencies: The Multiple Mediation Effects of Connectedness and Empathy

Awe is an emotion frequently experienced by individuals in different cultures. When individuals experience awe, they would feel a sense of connectedness to other people or nature arises, and shift their attention to the outside world, which would increase empathy for others in need and, in turn, improve their prosocial tendencies. To test this proposal, we applied a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey to collect a sample of 1545 (N_female = 988) in Asia, aged between 16 and 71 years old (M = 22.81, SD = 7.80). The Structural Equation Model and bootstrapping method were used to test the mediation effects of connectedness and empathy between awe and prosocial tendency. Results showed that dispositional awe positively predicted a prosocial tendency, which could be partially explained by the multiple mediation effects of connectedness and empathy, after controlling for the effect of the small self. The findings deepen researchers' understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between awe and prosociality and have practical implications for cultivating awe and prosocial behavior.

Understanding awe elicitors in the workplace: a qualitative inquiry

Purpose

Despite its practical importance, the emotion of awe has received scant research attention in the organizational literature. To facilitate future scholarship on this important topic, the authors explore and compare the elicitors of awe at work in three countries representing two culture clusters, including the USA and Canada (the Anglo cluster) and China (the Confucian Asia cluster).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors gathered responses from 163 working adults from the USA and Canada and 126 working adults from China using open-response survey, and analyzed each response following the guidance of grounded theory.

Findings

Across cultures, there are 10 common elicitors of awe, including virtue of organization, ability and achievement of organization, beauty of workplace, virtue of colleagues, ability and achievement of colleagues, dedication of colleagues, charisma of colleagues, status and power of colleagues, personal growth and achievement and perceived meaningfulness. Looking within cultures, the authors found two awe elicitors that are specific to China: status and power of organization, and work content.

Practical implications

Organizations and supervisors wishing to induce the emotion of awe would be well-advised to pay attention to the design of their workplace, as well as their attitudes and behaviors toward employees, customers and the general public.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the emotion literature, organizational literature and cross-cultural literature by demonstrating elicitors of awe in the workplace across the Anglo cluster and the Confucian Asia cluster.

Awe and Prosocial Behavior: The Mediating Role of Presence of Meaning in Life and the Moderating Role of Perceived Social Support

Although awe has been shown to increase prosocial behavior, there is limited knowledge about the mechanisms underlying this relationship, and about this relationship during unique periods. To bridge these gaps, this study examined the influence of awe on prosocial behaviors, the mediating role of the presence of meaning in life, and the moderating role of perceived social support. Based on longitudinal surveys from 676 Chinese college students we showed that: (1) awe was positively associated with prosocial behavior; (2) the presence of meaning in life mediated this association, and; (3) these associations were moderated by perceived social support. Specifically, the positive relationship between awe and the presence of meaning in life was only significant for college students with low perceived social support; and the positive relationship between the presence of meaning in life and prosocial behavior was stronger for college students with high perceived social support.

Why dispositional awe promotes psychosocial flourishing? An investigation of intrapersonal and interpersonal pathways among Chinese emerging adults

Promoting the psychosocial flourishing of emerging adults is crucially important. The tendency to feel awe, as captured by dispositional awe, may be a protective factor that promotes psychosocial flourishing. Inspired by the broaden-and-build theory, the present study sought to investigate the underexplored relationship between dispositional awe and psychosocial flourishing among emerging adults by establishing a dual-mediated model, which focuses on an intrapersonal mechanism of meaning in life and an interpersonal mechanism of social connectedness. Data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of 1213 Chinese emerging adults who completed a series of anonymous questionnaires regarding dispositional awe, psychosocial flourishing, meaning in life, and social connectedness. Results of the correlation analysis revealed positive and significant associations among dispositional awe, meaning in life, social connectedness, and psychosocial flourishing. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that meaning in life and social connectedness fully mediated the association between dispositional awe and psychosocial flourishing. The mediation effect of meaning in life was stronger than that of social connectedness. These findings contributes to the science of flourishing by identifying the internal mechanisms of why dispositional awe promotes the psychosocial flourishing of emerging adults.

Awe weakens the AIDS-related stigma: The mediation effects of connectedness and empathy

Stigma toward people with HIV or AIDS produces significant harms to their life and also hinders the prevention of AIDS. In the present study, we tested whether awe can weaken AIDS-related stigma and the mediating role of connectedness and empathy between them through a cross-sectional study (Study 1, N = 372) and two experimental studies (Study 2a and 2b, N = 110 and N = 180, respectively). Results showed that awe reduced AIDS-related stigma (Study 2a and 2b), via the serial mediation of connectedness and empathy (Study 1 and 2b). These findings suggest that the experience of awe increases one's connectedness to the world, which then enhances empathy and decreases AIDS-related stigma. This study expands our understanding of the relationship between awe and stigma, providing empirical basis for decreasing social prejudice to others.

Comparison of response to Chinese and Western videos of mental-health-related emotions in a representative Chinese sample

Background

Emotion plays an important role in mental health. Studying the relationship between emotion and mental health requires effective emotion-eliciting materials. Most standardized emotional stimuli, however, were based on Western contents and have not been validated in other cultures. The present study compared the emotional response to standard Western videos with videos of Chinese contents in a large representative Chinese sample. The effects of content source (film vs. real-life) and delivery medium (online vs. offline), as well as the effects of demographic factors were investigated. Participants’ depression level was assessed to test the potential use of the videos in mental health research.

Methods

Top-ranked videos of basic emotions commonly implicated in mental health (happiness, sadness, anger, and fear) were chosen from a widely used Western video database. Twelve corresponding Chinese videos (film or real-life) were selected, with three clips for each emotion. In addition, three Chinese videos of the emotion “awe” were included because of the growing research attention to its role in promoting mental health. A large representative sample were recruited (N = 348) either online or offline and each participant viewed and rated his/her emotional reaction to all videos.

Results

All Chinese and Western videos effectively elicited target emotions. The intensity of emotional response was generally higher for Chinese videos than for Western videos. Film and real-life videos provided mixed results in terms of the intensity of elicited emotions. There was a small difference in the delivery medium in which one video watched online were rated more intense than being watched in the laboratory. Older adults were more emotional reactive than young people in general, but the latter showed more differentiated response to Chinese versus Western videos. People with higher education levels responded less to happy videos. Finally, emotional reactivity of anger and awe were negatively related to depression level, which was partially consistent with the emotional-context-insensitivity (ECI) hypothesis of depression.

Conclusions

The results suggest that both Western and Chinese videos could reliably elicit emotion in Chinese people, but videos with local contents were generally more effective. The set of videos can be a useful tool for studying emotion and mental health in the Chinese cultural context.

Design for Breathtaking Experiences: An Exploration of Design Strategies to Evoke Awe in Human–Product Interactions

From looking up at a skyscraper to the Grand Canyon’s vastness, you may have experienced awe in one way or another. Awe is experienced when one encounters something greater or more powerful than themselves and is associated with prosocial behavior through a diminishment of self-importance. In design research, most studies on awe have been conducted in lab conditions by using technologies such as virtual reality because of its efficiency to simulate typical awe-stimulating conditions (e.g., nature scenes). While useful in inducing awe and assessing its effects on users, they give little guidance about how design can deliberately evoke awe. Most attempts focus on the response of awe instead of its eliciting conditions. With an aim to support designers to facilitate awe, this paper explores design strategies to evoke awe. Based on appraisal theory, the cause of awe was formulated, and its relevance to designing for awe was investigated. The conditions that underlie awe in design were explored through a survey in which participants reported 150 awe experiences, resulting in six design strategies. The paper describes these strategies and discusses how they can be used in a design process, giving attention to addressing the experiential value of awe.

Influence of Positive and Threatened Awe on the Attitude Toward Norm Violations

Awe is an emotional response to vast stimuli needing for accommodation. Although several studies have revealed that awe led to more ethical attitudes toward one’s own behavior and to generosity toward people in general, it is unclear whether and how the two types of awe—positive and threatened—influence one’s attitude toward others’ social norm violations. In the current study, we examined the influence of these types of awe on tolerance toward deviators’ behavior by using a pre-post design and a scenario task within the Japanese population. The findings indicated that positive awe increased the tolerance of others’ norm violations, while threatening awe did not.

Why Awe Promotes Prosocial Behaviors? The Mediating Effects of Future Time Perspective and Self-Transcendence Meaning of Life

Awe is an emotion experience when individuals encounter with such powerful stimulate beyond their own understanding. Guided by conceptual analysis of awe as a trait positive emotion, we tested the hypothesis that dispositional awe results in an improvement of individual's self-transcendence meaning of life (STML) and affects future time perspective, and increase prosocial behavior. Mediational data demonstrate that the effects of awe on prosociality are explained, by improving STML self and future time perspective. These findings indicate that awe may help situate individuals within broader social contexts and enhance collective concern.

The Effect of Preceding Self-Control on Prosocial Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Awe

The exertion of self-control is known to result in subsequent detrimental effects on prosocial behaviors. Moreover, certain studies have demonstrated that positive emotions could drive people to allocate more attentional resources for conducting prosocial behaviors. However, whether and how awe - one important type of positive incidental emotion - moderates the effect of exerting self-control on subsequent prosocial behaviors remains unclear yet. The anonymous economic dictator game is an effective index of prosocial behaviors. We examined the influence of exerting self-control on prosocial behavior and the moderating role of awe on the effect of exerting self-control on prosocial behaviors in two experiments (N = 280). We adopted the incongruent Stroop task to induce the exertion of self-control and participants were required to allocate money to others in the anonymous dictator game (Experiment 1). We used the narrative recall task paradigm to elicit the emotion of awe during the interval between Stroop tasks and the dictator game (Experiment 2). Results indicated that the exertion of self-control was detrimental to prosocial behaviors and awe weakened the detrimental effects of exerting self-control on prosocial behavior. We interpreted these results in terms of the protective inhibition of self-regulation and motivation (PRISM) model.

Relation Between Awe and Environmentalism: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation

The present study attempts to explore the effect of awe on environmentalism and the mediating role of social dominance orientation in generating this effect. In Study 1, a series of questionnaires were used to investigate the correlation among trait awe, social dominance orientation, and ecological behavior. Results demonstrated that, while trait awe was positively correlated with ecological behavior, it was partially mediated by social dominance orientation. In follow-up studies, two priming experiments were conducted to test the causal relationship and the psychological mechanisms between awe and environmentalism. Results revealed that inductions of awe (relative to various control states) decreased participants' social dominance orientation, which in turn partially enhanced their willingness to make personal sacrifices for the environment (Study 2), and intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior (Study 3). This study not only corroborates the critical role of awe in promoting environmentalism, but also highlights the importance of social dominance orientation in explaining why awe increases environmentalism. Implications and future directions were also discussed.

Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy

A psychological model of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy informed by contemporary scientific data is presented in this paper. It is suggested that classic psychedelic-occasioned mystical experience is characterized by profound awe, a discrete emotion experienced in the presence of a vast stimulus requiring accommodation of mental structures. Awe, in turn, promotes the small self, a construct that, in the extreme, is analogous to those of unitive experience and ego dissolution. The small self is conceptualized as key to understanding the downstream effects of mystical experience occasioned in the context of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. With this novel theoretical framework in mind, a number of clinical implications and recommendations are provided so as to advance this incipient field of study.

From Awe to Ecological Behavior: The Mediating Role of Connectedness to Nature

Awe is a self-transcendent emotion that can diminish one’s focus on the self and serves as an important motivator of commitment to social collectives. However, the influence of awe on ecological behavior is not clear. This study examines the relationships between people’s feeling of awe, their connectedness to nature, and ecological behavior. Three experiments tested the effect of awe on ecological behaviors including mediation tests. Compared with participants in the control condition, participants in the awe condition were more inclined to behave ecologically (Study 1 and 2) and reported a higher feeling of connectedness to nature (Study 2). Moreover, the relationship between awe and ecological behavior was mediated by connectedness to nature (Study 3). These findings indicate that awe helps broaden the self-concept by including nature and increase connectedness to nature, which in turn lead to ecological behavior. They also highlight the significance of connectedness in explaining why awe increases ecological behavior.