Research Design Connection: More on Awe

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | September 7th, 2020

Perlin and Li confirm that awe is linked to prosocial behavior. As they report, “Awe is an emotional response to stimuli…Curiously, awe has prosocial effects [encourages us to act in ways that benefit other people] despite often being elicited by nonsocial stimuli.” Awe can be inspired by phenomena that are large/vast, as well as by those that utilize rare materials or exhibit exquisite workmanship, for example. Joshua Perlin and Leon Li. 2020. “Why Does Awe Have Prosocial Effects? New Perspectives on Awe and the Small Self.” Perspectives in Psychological Science, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 291-308, https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619886006 Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before …