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Takano R, Matsuo A, Kawano K. Development of a Japanese version of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S): A structural topic modeling approach. F1000Res 2023; 12:515. [PMID: 37900197 PMCID: PMC10611950 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.134275.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Awe, a complex emotion, arises in response to perceptually and conceptually vast stimuli that transcend one's current frames of reference, which is associated with subjective psychological phenomena, such as a sense of self and consciousness. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S), a widely used questionnaire that robustly measured the state of awe, and simultaneously investigated how the multiple facets of awe related to the narrative representations of awe experiences. METHODS The Japanese AWE-S was created via back-translation and its factor structure and validity was investigated through an online survey in Japan. RESULTS The results revealed that the Japanese AWE-S consisted of the same six factors as the original (i.e., time, self-loss, connectedness, vastness, physiological, and accommodation) and had sufficient internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and also Japan-specific characteristics. The structured topic modeling generated seven potential topics of the descriptions of awe experiences, which were differently associated with each factor of the Japanese AWE-S. CONCLUSIONS Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of awe and reveal the constructs of awe in Japan through cross-cultural comparisons. Furthermore, this study provides conceptual and methodological implications regarding studies on awe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Takano
- Kojimachi Business Center Building, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan
- Department of Social Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Akiko Matsuo
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Kawano
- Department of Psychology, Tokai Gakuen University, Nagoya, Aichi, 468-8514, Japan
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Takano R, Nomura M. Strengthened social ties in disasters: Threat-awe encourages interdependent worldviews via powerlessness. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285049. [PMID: 37099602 PMCID: PMC10132671 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Threat-awe, a negatively valenced variant of awe, is thought to strengthen social ties among community members. However, few empirical studies have examined the social functions of threat-awe. This study investigated whether threat-awe is linked to interdependent worldviews through feelings of powerlessness in comparison with positive awe. After remembering and describing their experiences of positive-or threat-awe, 486 Japanese participants reported on items regarding a small self, a sense of powerlessness, and interdependent worldviews. The results demonstrated that threat-awe encouraged interdependent worldviews via an increased sense of powerlessness, rather than the small self, compared to the positive awe condition. From textual perspectives, the semantic networks between awe-related and other words differed from the descriptions of threat-awe and positive awe experiences. These results provide a more nuanced understanding of the emotions of awe as well as new insights into human cooperation in the context of disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Takano
- Department of Social Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michio Nomura
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Liu J, Huo Y, Wang J, Bai Y, Zhao M, Di M. Awe of nature and well-being: Roles of nature connectedness and powerlessness. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Hu J. Dispositional awe, meaning in life, and socially responsible consumption. SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2022.2154757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hu
- School of Economics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China
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Sawada K, Nomura M. Developing and validating the Japanese version of the situational Awe cale (SAS-J). CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-02808-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe experience of awe, an emotional response to vast stimuli overwhelming ones’ current mental structure, has often been measured using a questionnaire method. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate the Japanese version of the Situational Awe Scale (SAS), which is a useful tool for measuring awe experiences from the perspective of the discriminability between positive- and threat-awe. The present study investigated the factor structure and validity of the Japanese version of the SAS (SAS-J) using awe-inducing video clips, through three online surveys (N = 1034; mean age = 38.74, SD = 10.95, range = 18–75). Results revealed that the SAS-J consisted of the same four factors as the original SAS (i.e., connection, oppression, chills, and diminished self) and had the convergent, criterion, and discriminative validity in measuring both positive- and threat-awe experiences. Additionally, results showed that the SAS-J could distinguish between positive- and threat-awe experiences. These results suggested that the SAS-J could measure both positive- and threat-awe experiences with validity. This study would make a methodological contribution to awe research.
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Luo L, Yang D, Tian Y, Gao W, Yang J, Yuan J. Awe weakens the AIDS-related stigma: The mediation effects of connectedness and empathy. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1043101. [PMID: 36532200 PMCID: PMC9755721 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1043101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Luo
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.,School of Educational Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, China
| | - Dong Yang
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Tian
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Gao
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiemin Yang
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiajin Yuan
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
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The Impact of Awe Induced by COVID-19 Pandemic on Green Consumption Behavior in China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18020543. [PMID: 33440719 PMCID: PMC7826881 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The association between changes in public sentiment induced by COVID-19 and green consumption behavior has not been studied deeply. This study proposes that the awe induced by the COVID-19 pandemic can have both negative and positive aspects, aiming to psychologically reveal why the pandemic is affecting green consumer behavior and explore potential pathways for differentiation. Research data were derived from Wuhan, China, and analyzed using experimental method. This study finds that awe of COVID-19 positively affects green consumption behavior. Specifically, due to fear, anxiety, and powerlessness, individuals with negative awe of COVID-19 instinctively need to respond to risk and pay more attention to their own safety and interests, so as to promote green consumption. However, positive awe of COVID-19 involves higher levels of cognition, such as admiration, inspiration, and optimism. It inspires a commitment to prioritize nature and social groups, and promotes green consumption behavior. As conclusions, different types of awe can be induced from public health emergencies like COVID-19 and have their own specific paths to effect green consumption behavior. These findings could help governments and marketers build future policies and strategies to reasonably guide public sentiment in order to better promote green consumption in this epidemic.
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Arcangeli M, Sperduti M, Jacquot A, Piolino P, Dokic J. Awe and the Experience of the Sublime: A Complex Relationship. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1340. [PMID: 32612563 PMCID: PMC7308447 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Awe seems to be a complex emotion or emotional construct characterized by a mix of positive (contentment, happiness), and negative affective components (fear and a sense of being smaller, humbler or insignificant). It is striking that the elicitors of awe correspond closely to what philosophical aesthetics, and especially Burke and Kant, have called “the sublime.” As a matter of fact, awe is almost absent from the philosophical agenda, while there are very few studies on the experience of the sublime as such in the psychological literature. The aim of this paper is to throw light on the complex relationship between awe (as understood by psychologists) and the experience of the sublime (as discussed by philosophers). We distinguish seven ways of conceiving this relationship and highlight those that seem more promising to us. Once we have a clearer picture of how awe and the experience of the sublime are related, we can use it to enhance collaboration between these domains. We would be able to use empirical results about awe in a philosophical analysis of the experience of the sublime, which in turn can help us to design novel experimental hypotheses about the contexts in which we experience awe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Arcangeli
- École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France.,Institut Jean Nicod, UMR 8129, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Marco Sperduti
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, URP 7536, Institut de Psychologie, Université de Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Amélie Jacquot
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, URP 7536, Institut de Psychologie, Université de Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Pascale Piolino
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, URP 7536, Institut de Psychologie, Université de Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Jérôme Dokic
- École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France.,Institut Jean Nicod, UMR 8129, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
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