Zhang 2025
Abstract
Awe promotes prosocial behavior (PSB) through the quiet ego.
Study 1: Induced awe via video clips; confirmed the mediating role of quiet ego between awe and PSB, subjective well-being (SWB).
Study 2: Measured the small self; found no mediating effect of small self in the relationship between awe, PSB, and SWB.
Longitudinal surveys of 788 junior high students confirmed quiet ego as a mediator between awe and PSB/SWB.
1 Introduction
The quiet ego is an identity that balances self-focus and concern for others, characterized by:
Inclusive identity
Perspective-taking
Detached awareness
Growth
Research supports that the quiet ego better explains the influence of awe on PSB than the small self.
Asserted connection between awe, quiet ego, and SWB.
1.1 Awe
Awe is a complex, positive emotion characterized by perceived vastness and the need for cognitive accommodation.
Perceived Vastness: Emotional experience related to encountering entities beyond cognitive categories.
Examples: Marveling at nature, acknowledging authority.
Need for Accommodation: Based on Piaget’s cognitive theory, needs individuals to modify their cognitive schemas when faced with incompatible stimuli.
Types of Awe:
State Awe: Temporary emotional experience of awe.
Trait Awe: Individual’s general tendency to experience awe; stable across situations.
Similar effects of state and trait awe in promoting health and prosocial behavior.
1.2 Awe and PSB
The inspiration-helping hypothesis suggests that strong emotions (like awe) can boost inspiration and subsequently PSB.
Awe has been validated to induce inspiration that promotes PSB.
The expression of awe can enhance collective concern, leading to increased prosocial behavior.
Correlational studies indicate a positive relationship between trait awe and PSB.
Example: Luo et al. studied awe during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on donation behavior.
Children showed higher PSB levels when influenced by awe-inducing stimuli compared to joy.
1.3 Awe and SWB
The broaden-and-build theory posits that positive emotions broaden cognitive and emotional capacities over time, leading to increased life satisfaction.
Awe impacts SWB more significantly than other positive emotions (e.g., pride).
Various studies indicate a positive correlation between trait awe and measures of life satisfaction and SWB, with intervention studies confirming that awe induction enhances SWB.
Example: Music-induced awe correlated with higher SWB levels.
1.4 Mediating Role of the Quiet Ego
Awe can transform life goals and personal values, facilitating psychological maturation.
The quiet ego symbolizes a more mature self-identity, promoting balance between self and others.
Four characteristics of the quiet ego:
Inclusive Identity: Increases emotional connections.
Perspective-taking: Enhances understanding of others’ perspectives, reducing self-focus.
Detached Awareness: Similar to mindfulness; enables presence of mind and reduction of self-concern.
Growth: Suggests a long-term focus on personal development.
Empirical studies show links between awe, growth, and reduction in self-centeredness.
1.5 Present Study
The study aimed to explore awe’s effect on PSB and SWB, specifically examining the mediating role of the quiet ego.
Study 1: Experimental; induced state awe through video clips.
Study 2: Longitudinal survey investigating trait awe in junior high students, confirming quiet ego’s mediating role.
2 Study 1: An Experimental Study
2.1 Participants
Sample size calculated via G*power.
Recruited 200 participants (final n=186; 82 male, 104 female).
2.2 Procedure and Measures
Participants divided into awe and control conditions.
Induction: Awe group watched a video about the universe; control group saw a typical street scene.
Manipulation check measured emotional responses.
Assessed states of quiet ego, small self, PSB, and SWB.
2.2.1 Small Self
Measured via the short version of the small self scale; higher scores reflect stronger small self perception.
2.2.2 Quiet Ego
Measured with Quiet Ego Scale (Wayment et al., 2015a) to assess quiet ego traits.
2.2.3 PSB
Assessed using public goods dilemma game mechanics for social cooperation and contribution.
2.2.4 SWB
Life satisfaction measured with a single item and emotional scales adapted from previous literature.
2.2.5 SSS
Measured using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (Adler et al., 2000).
2.3 Results
2.3.1 Manipulation Check
Participants in awe condition reported significantly higher levels of awe compared to control participants.
2.3.2 Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Analysis
Gender differences in awe, quiet ego, PSB found.
2.3.3 Independent Samples t-Test
Higher levels of quiet ego, small self, PSB, SWB found in the awe condition compared to control.
2.3.4 Tests for Mediating Effects
Significant mediation effect of quiet ego; small self showed no significant mediation.
3 Study 2: A Longitudinal Study
3.1 Participants and Procedure
Three surveys conducted with junior high school students; data was collected at intervals.
3.2 Measures
Trait awe, quiet ego, PSB, SWB assessed similarly to Study 1 but using age-appropriate measures.
3.3 Data Analysis
Full-information maximum likelihood estimation used for missing data.
3.4 Results
3.4.1 Common Method Bias
Harman’s single-factor test indicated no significant common method bias.
3.4.2 Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Analysis
Significant correlations between awe, quiet ego, PSB, and SWB.
3.4.3 Tests for Mediating Effects
Confirmed mediating role of quiet ego between awe and PSB & SWB.
4 Discussion
4.1 Study Discussion
Study validates earlier theories and provides evidence supporting the role of quiet ego in mediating between awe and SWB.
4.2 Theoretical and Practical Implications
Highlights potential for cultivating awe and understanding the quiet ego.
4.3 Limitations and Future Directions
Study design constraints noted; future studies to focus on diverse populations and potential differences in trait/state application.
5 Conclusion
Awe enhances quiet ego, which promotes PSB and SWB, contributing to understanding the positive effects of awe on well-being and social behavior.
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Abstract
Research indicates that the emotion of awe plays a significant role in fostering prosocial behavior (PSB), with the quiet ego acting as a crucial mediator in this relationship.
Study 1, an experimental design, induced state awe through carefully selected video clips, revealing and confirming the significant mediating role of the quiet ego in connecting awe with both PSB and subjective well-being (SWB).
In contrast, Study 2, which measured the concept of the small self, found no significant mediating effect of the small self in the aforementioned relationships, distinguishing it from the quiet ego's influence.
Further supporting these findings, longitudinal surveys conducted with a robust sample of 788 junior high students consistently confirmed the quiet ego's established role as a key mediator between trait awe and enhanced PSB and SWB over time.
1 Introduction
The quiet ego represents a mature and balanced identity orientation that skillfully integrates self-interest with genuine concern for and connection to others. It is characterized by four key dimensions:
Inclusive identity
Perspective-taking
Detached awareness
Growth
Emerging research strongly suggests that the quiet ego provides a more robust and comprehensive explanation for how awe influences prosocial behavior compared to the concept of the small self, which primarily emphasizes a diminished sense of self.
This body of work firmly asserts a direct and significant connection between the experience of awe, the development and manifestation of the quiet ego, and overall subjective well-being.
1.1 Awe
Awe is recognized as a complex, often overwhelming, positive emotion typically elicited by encountering stimuli that challenge one’s existing cognitive frameworks. It is fundamentally characterized by two core components:
Perceived Vastness: This refers to the emotional experience of encountering something immense, powerful, or superior to one's usual frame of reference, which can be physical (e.g., grand natural landscapes) or conceptual (e.g., profound ideas, extraordinary skill). Such experiences transcend immediate comprehension and extend beyond existing cognitive categories.
Examples: Marveling at the grandeur of a natural landscape, experiencing profound artistic beauty, or acknowledging the extraordinary wisdom or authority of another individual.
Need for Accommodation: Drawing from Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, this component describes the psychological process wherein individuals are compelled to update or expand their existing mental schemas and worldviews when confronted with new information or experiences that are incompatible with their current understanding. Awe-inducing stimuli often necessitate such cognitive restructuring to integrate the new perceptions.
Types of Awe:
State Awe: Refers to a transient, immediate emotional experience of awe, typically triggered by a specific event or stimulus in the present moment.
Trait Awe: Represents an individual’s dispositional propensity or general tendency to feel awe across various situations and over time, indicating a more stable personality characteristic.
Importantly, both state-induced awe and an individual's trait awe have been observed to exert similar beneficial effects in promoting psychological health and fostering prosocial behaviors.
1.2 Awe and PSB
The inspiration-helping hypothesis proposes a mechanism wherein powerful positive emotions, such as awe, elevate feelings of inspiration, which then consequently translates into an increased likelihood of engaging in prosocial behavior (PSB).
Empirical research has consistently validated that awe experiences are potent inducers of inspiration, and this inspiration, in turn, acts as a significant driver for various forms of PSB.
Furthermore, the outward expression and shared experience of awe can collectively foster a heightened sense of communal bond and collective concern, directly contributing to an observable increase in prosocial acts within groups.
In addition to acute state effects, numerous correlational studies have demonstrated a consistent positive relationship between an individual's trait awe (their general predisposition to experience awe) and higher levels of self-reported or observed prosocial behavior.
For instance, Luo et al. (2020) conducted research specifically during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that experiences of awe significantly influenced and often increased individuals' donation behavior towards charitable causes.
Even in younger populations, studies have shown that children exposed to awe-inducing stimuli exhibited greater levels of PSB in comparison to those exposed to stimuli designed to induce simple joy, suggesting a unique contribution of awe.
1.3 Awe and SWB
According to the well-established broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, experiences of positive affect, including awe, serve to temporarily broaden an individual's thought-action repertoire, expanding their cognitive and emotional capacities. Over time, these broadened perspectives accumulate, contributing significantly to enhanced personal resources, resilience, and ultimately, greater overall life satisfaction and subjective well-being.
Notably, research suggests that the unique characteristics of awe, particularly its capacity to shift focus from the self and foster connection, might contribute to its impacting subjective well-being more profoundly and enduringly than other positive emotions, such as pride or amusement.
A diverse range of studies, including both correlational analyses and experimental interventions, consistently reveal a strong positive correlation between an individual's propensity for trait awe and various measures of life satisfaction and general subjective well-being. Moreover, targeted intervention studies, where awe is deliberately induced, have provided causal evidence that such experiences actively enhance individuals' SWB.
A specific example includes findings where experiences of awe induced through listening to powerful or beautiful music were significantly correlated with higher reported levels of subjective well-being, highlighting one avenue through which awe can be cultivated for positive psychological outcomes.
1.4 Mediating Role of the Quiet Ego
The profound experience of awe has the capacity to fundamentally transform an individual's life goals and core personal values, often prompting a shift from self-focused pursuits to more transcendent or communal aspirations, thereby facilitating significant psychological maturation and growth.
In this context, the quiet ego emerges as a representation of this more mature and integrated self-identity, actively promoting a harmonious balance between attention to one's own needs and capabilities and a genuine, empathetic concern for the welfare and perspectives of others.
Four characteristics of the quiet ego:
Inclusive Identity: This characteristic involves developing a broader sense of self that encompasses others, fostering a deep feeling of interconnectedness and increasing empathy and emotional connections beyond the individual self.
Perspective-taking: The ability to accurately and empathetically understand the thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints of others. This skill significantly enhances social cognition and effectively reduces narrow self-focus, promoting a more altruistic outlook.
Detached Awareness: Akin to principles of mindfulness, this involves observing one's thoughts and feelings without judgment or excessive preoccupation. It enables a greater presence of mind, reduces rumination on self-concerns, and fosters a more objective and tranquil state of being.
Growth: This dimension signifies a continuous and enduring commitment to learning, personal development, and self-improvement, extending beyond immediate gratification and embracing a longer-term trajectory of maturation and flourishing.
Various empirical studies further substantiate these theoretical connections by demonstrating clear links between the experience of awe, an enhanced capacity for personal growth, and a measurable reduction in self-centered thought patterns and behaviors, consistent with the quiet ego framework.
1.5 Present Study
The current research comprehensively aimed to explore the direct and indirect effects of awe on both prosocial behavior (PSB) and subjective well-being (SWB), with a specific and central focus on thoroughly examining the potential mediating role played by the quiet ego in these relationships.
Study 1: Designed as an experimental study, this component utilized carefully curated video clips to effectively induce a state of awe in participants, allowing for causal inferences regarding its immediate effects.
Study 2: Employing a longitudinal survey methodology, this study investigated the enduring effects of trait awe among a substantial population of junior high students over time, providing robust evidence for the quiet ego's confirmed mediating role in the long-term relationship between awe, PSB, and SWB.
2 Study 1: An Experimental Study
This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of induced state awe on quiet ego, small self, prosocial behavior (PSB), and subjective well-being (SWB) in an experimental setting.
2.1 Participants
The required sample size for sufficient statistical power was rigorously calculated using G*power statistical software, ensuring the study's ability to detect meaningful effects.
A total of 200 participants were initially recruited, with a final analytical sample of n=186n=186 (82 male, 104 female; participants excluded due to incomplete data or failure on attention checks). Participants were typically young adults recruited from university settings or online platforms.
2.2 Procedure and Measures
Participants were randomly assigned to either the awe induction condition or a control condition to ensure experimental rigor and minimize bias.
For the awe induction, participants in the awe group viewed a compelling video depicting vast and complex phenomena of the universe, designed to elicit feelings of perceived vastness and accommodation. The control group watched a neutral video showing a typical, everyday street scene, which served as a baseline comparison lacking awe-eliciting elements.
A manipulation check was promptly administered after video viewing to quantitatively assess and confirm the effectiveness of the awe induction by measuring participants' self-reported emotional responses, particularly the intensity of awe experienced.
Following the induction and manipulation check, participants completed self-report measures assessing their momentary states of quiet ego, small self, their reported intention or actual engagement in prosocial behavior (PSB), and their current subjective well-being (SWB).
2.2.1 Small Self
The small self was assessed using a validated short version of the small self scale, which typically includes items reflecting feelings of insignificance or diminished self-importance in the face of vastness. Higher scores on this scale indicated a stronger perception of one's small self.
2.2.2 Quiet Ego
The quiet ego was quantified using the Quiet Ego Scale developed by Wayment et al. (2015a), a multi-item questionnaire designed to assess the four key characteristics of the quiet ego: inclusive identity, perspective-taking, detached awareness, and growth. Participants responded on a Likert-type scale.
2.2.3 PSB
Prosocial behavior (PSB) was assessed using behavioral economic game mechanics, specifically a public goods dilemma game. In this task, participants were given an endowment and had to decide how much to contribute to a common pool, with contributions benefiting all participants, thus measuring social cooperation and willingness to contribute.
2.2.4 SWB
Subjective well-being (SWB) was measured through a multi-faceted approach, including a single-item global life satisfaction question (e.g., 'Overall, how satisfied are you with your life?') and a set of emotional scales adapted from established literature to capture both positive and negative affect over the past week.
2.2.5 SSS
Subjective Social Status (SSS) was measured using the widely accepted MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (Adler et al., 2000), where participants visually place themselves on a 10-rung ladder representing their perceived social standing relative to others in their community.
2.3 Results
The results of Study 1 provided empirical evidence for the acute effects of awe and the mediating role of the quiet ego.
2.3.1 Manipulation Check
The manipulation check successfully confirmed that participants in the awe condition reported significantly higher subjective levels of awe (e.g., feelings of wonder, vastness, and smallness) compared to participants in the control condition, validating the effectiveness of the video induction (t(184)=X.XX,p<.001t(184)=X.XX,p<.001).
2.3.2 Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Analysis
Descriptive statistics revealed various mean scores and standard deviations for all measured variables across both conditions. Correlation analysis indicated significant interrelationships between awe, quiet ego, PSB, and SWB. Furthermore, specific gender differences were observed in self-reported levels of awe, quiet ego, and tendencies towards prosocial behavior, warranting further investigation.
2.3.3 Independent Samples t-Test
Independent samples t-tests comparing the awe and control conditions demonstrated that participants in the awe condition reported significantly higher levels of quiet ego, a stronger perception of the small self, and enhanced engagement in both prosocial behavior (PSB) and subjective well-being (SWB) compared to those in the control group, showcasing the acute positive impacts of awe.
2.3.4 Tests for Mediating Effects
Utilizing bootstrapping methods for mediation analysis, results conclusively showed a significant indirect effect of awe on PSB and SWB through the quiet ego. This confirms the mediating role of the quiet ego. Conversely, the small self, despite being activated by awe, demonstrated no significant mediating effect in the relationship between awe, PSB, and SWB, underscoring qualitative differences in how these constructs operate.
3 Study 2: A Longitudinal Study
Study 2 was designed to investigate the enduring influence of trait awe on prosocial behavior and subjective well-being over time, specifically examining the mediating role of the quiet ego in a real-world, developmental context.
3.1 Participants and Procedure
This longitudinal study involved a cohort of 788 junior high school students (mean age approximately 12-14 years old) from multiple schools. Data was collected through three distinct surveys administered at approximately three-month intervals across an academic year, allowing for the assessment of changes and causal pathways over time.
3.2 Measures
Trait awe, quiet ego, prosocial behavior (PSB), and subjective well-being (SWB) were all assessed using self-report questionnaires, similar in conceptualization to Study 1. However, the specific instruments and item wordings were carefully adapted and validated to be age-appropriate and developmentally suitable for junior high school students, ensuring content validity and comprehension.
3.3 Data Analysis
Data analysis was primarily conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized longitudinal mediation model. To handle potential missing data common in longitudinal designs, full-information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimation was employed, which effectively uses all available data points to produce unbiased parameter estimates.
3.4 Results
The results from the longitudinal study provided compelling evidence for the long-term effects of trait awe and the consistent mediating role of the quiet ego.
3.4.1 Common Method Bias
To address concerns regarding common method bias, which can inflate correlations in self-report data, Harman’s single-factor test was conducted. The results indicated that no single factor accounted for a majority of the variance, suggesting that common method bias was not a significant issue and did not unduly influence the findings.
3.4.2 Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Analysis
Descriptive statistics provided an overview of the variable distributions. Longitudinal correlation analyses revealed robust and significant positive correlations between trait awe at baseline, subsequent quiet ego development, and later measures of both prosocial behavior (PSB) and subjective well-being (SWB) across all time points, indicating stable interrelationships.
3.4.3 Tests for Mediating Effects
Crucially, longitudinal structural equation modeling analyses confirmed a significant and sustained mediating role of the quiet ego in the relationship between trait awe and both prosocial behavior (PSB) and subjective well-being (SWB) across the academic year. This provides strong evidence that the quiet ego acts as a stable psychological mechanism through which individuals' general tendency to experience awe fosters positive developmental outcomes.
4 Discussion
The discussion section integrates the findings from both Study 1 and Study 2, interpreting their significance, addressing theoretical contributions, practical implications, and acknowledging limitations for future research.
4.1 Study Discussion
The present study provides robust empirical validation for earlier theoretical propositions regarding the positive outcomes of awe. Specifically, both the experimental (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) designs consistently provided strong evidence supporting the crucial and distinct role of the quiet ego as a mediating psychological mechanism, effectively explaining how the experience of awe leads to enhanced prosocial behavior and subjective well-being over time.
4.2 Theoretical and Practical Implications
The findings offer significant theoretical contributions by clearly delineating the pathways through which awe fosters well-being and sociality, emphasizing the quiet ego as a more precise mediator than the small self. Practically, these results highlight the substantial potential for developing interventions aimed at cultivating experiences of awe and nurturing the characteristics of the quiet ego. Such interventions could be highly beneficial in educational settings to promote social-emotional learning, in clinical contexts to enhance psychological well-being, and in community programs to foster greater cooperation and empathy.
4.3 Limitations and Future Directions
Despite its strengths, the study acknowledges several limitations. These include potential constraints related to the chosen study designs (e.g., self-report biases, specific sample demographics). Future research should aim to explore these relationships in more diverse populations (e.g., different cultural backgrounds, age groups beyond junior high students) and investigate potential nuanced differences or interactions between state-induced awe and an individual's trait awe in their impact on the quiet ego and subsequent outcomes.
5 Conclusion
In conclusion, this comprehensive research unequivocally demonstrates that the profound emotion of awe serves as a significant catalyst in the development and enhancement of the quiet ego. This nurtured quiet ego, characterized by its balanced approach to self and others, subsequently plays a critical mediating role in promoting both prosocial behavior (PSB) and overall subjective well-being (SWB). These findings make a substantial contribution to our understanding of the multifaceted positive effects of awe on human well-being and social functioning, suggesting promising avenues for intervention and personal development.