Knowledge · Research paper
The development of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S): A multifactorial measure for a complex emotion
By David Bryce Yaden, Scott Barry Kaufman, Elizabeth Hyde, Alice Chirico, Andrea Gaggioli, Jia Wei Zhang, Dacher Keltner
The Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S) measures the emotion of awe, identified through a study with over 1,000 participants recalling powerful awe moments. Six common features of awe were identified: a sense of time slowing down, feeling small, deep connection, perceiving vastness, physical sensations, and a need to process the experience. This scale aids in exploring the emotional, mental, and physical impacts of awe, contributing to studies on spirituality and well-being.
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- 2018Where it sits among everything in the Knowledge Bank, by year
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About the paper
This study introduces the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S), a new tool designed to measure the unique emotion of awe. Awe is often described as a powerful feeling we get when we encounter something vast or profound that challenges the way we see the world.
To better understand this emotion, over 1,000 people were asked to recall a powerful moment of awe—like witnessing a breathtaking natural scene or a deeply moving experience—and then answer questions about how it affected them. From their responses, researchers identified six common features of awe:
- A sense of time slowing down
- Feeling small or humbled
- A deep sense of connection
- Perceiving something vast or beyond comprehension
- Physical sensations like chills or wide eyes
- A need to mentally process or reframe the experience
This scale helps researchers explore how awe changes us—emotionally, mentally, and even physically—and opens the door to deeper studies of spirituality, well-being, and consciousness.
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