Over the past decade, research has increasingly focused on the multifaceted nature of awe, which transcends simple positive and negative valences. Here, I discuss the key findings and theoretical developments that have emerged from this extended investigation, from my research perspective, emphasizing the significance of awe in psychological processes and its potential for practical application. Initially, research focused on defining and measuring awe. It has been conceptualized as an emotion elicited by stimuli perceived as vast—either conceptually or perceptually—triggering a need for cognitive accommodation. Though awe has long been considered a transformative emotion, theoretical evidence suggests that its intensity is often diminished in laboratory settings. In order to address this gap, I refined both the operational definition of awe as well as the methods used to elicit it by utilizing novel technologies such as virtual reality (VR). Additionally, I began to question the construct validity of existing instruments used to assess awe in experimental settings. The use of immersive videos, which rely on perceptual spatiality, has demonstrated to be more effective than conventional 2D videos in eliciting intense emotions of awe - but only when they are built on content that has been pre-validated as being capable of eliciting such emotion. By incorporating these insights, we were able to develop novel, interactive, VR-based scenarios to elicit awe both in the lab and in everyday settings. The potential of VR-elicited awe has emerged not only in enhancing short-term creative thinking but also as an epistemic emotion—that is, one capable of motivating learning by bridging knowledge gaps. The PROMETHEUS project, funded by the Cariplo Foundation, capitalized on awe’s epistemic properties to design new teaching methodologies and intervention strategies in educational settings marked by high dropout rates. However, awe holds even greater promise for both individual and societal well-being. Through the PONE EU REACT project, we explored the potential of awe-inspiring VR scenarios to foster pro-environmental behaviours—particularly "socially engaging behaviours"—as a result of awe’s connection-related appraisals. As evidence for awe’s positive impact on psychological and social well-being grows, two further steps are now crucial. First, we must translate lab-based findings on awe and VR into real-world applications. To this end, we have developed and tested a new awe-based training module in social VR aimed at enhancing creativity. Second—and perhaps more challengingly—we must return to the foundational issue of construct validity in awe assessment, especially across cultures. Beyond ongoing cross-cultural validation of dispositional and state scales, there is now an urgent need to revisit and refine the construct itself and the conditions under which it is validly assessed. To this end, I have initiated a novel interdisciplinary research line exploring the relationship between awe and the sublime, with a particular focus on European cultural contexts.
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