The unique nature and psychosocial implications of awe

Abstract

Psychological research has explored awe’s intricate nature and far-reaching consequences. Awe profoundly influences the sense of self (which has considerable psychosocial implications), but there are complexities across the literature regarding how awe impacts the self. In this Review, we synthesize the literature about awe and suggest an integrative approach to understanding awe’s psychosocial implications. We begin by introducing awe as defined by an established theoretical model and examining the methodological challenges to the scientific study of awe. We then discuss discrepancies in current research on awe’s impacts on the self and consider an alternative approach in which awe promotes a broad, non-egocentric perspective on the self. We argue that this approach offers deep insight into the implications of awe and review related findings focusing on cognition and motivation, social dynamics and well-being. Finally, we examine cultural commonalities and diversity in experiences of awe and conclude by suggesting avenues for future inquiry. Awe has considerable psychological implications, but its multifaceted nature has hindered researchers in understanding the underlying processes. In this Review, Jiang et al. discuss how awe impacts the self and provide an integrative framework of the psychological consequences of awe.