Small but Still Significant: Awe and the Self

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Emotion Research

Background:

• Awe is an emotion triggered by vast experiences, expanding one's frame of reference.
• Previous research links awe to feeling "small," but its effect on existential significance remains underexplored.
• The distinction between smallness and insignificance is crucial for understanding awe's psychological impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of awe on subjective perceptions of self-size and personal significance.
• To differentiate between the feeling of being "small" and feeling "insignificant" in the context of awe.
• To examine whether fear-based inductions influence perceptions of significance.

Main Methods:

• Four within-person experiments were conducted.
• Participants reported on metaphorical self- and world size and significance before and after awe induction (vs. control).
• Study 4 specifically analyzed the impact of fear-based inductions on significance.

Main Results:

• Awe consistently reduced participants' subjective sense of self-size.
• Experiencing awe did not lead to feelings of insignificance.
• Participants generally reported increased personal significance across all conditions, irrespective of awe induction.

Conclusions:

• Awe shrinks the self metaphorically without diminishing personal significance.
• The experience of awe does not appear to negatively impact existential significance.
• Further research is needed to explore the broader existential consequences of awe on self and world perceptions.