Awe Influences Prosocial Behavior and Subjective Well-Being Through the Quiet Ego

Awe has been proposed to promote prosocial behavior (PSB) through the quiet ego. However, this view lacks empirical research support. The present study verified and expanded this view through longitudinal and experimental studies. In Study 1, we induced state awe through video clips and provided experimental support for the mediating role of the quiet ego in the link between awe and PSB and SWB. In addition, Study 2 included a measure of the small self, a traditional mediating variable in awe research, and did not find that the small self mediates the effect of awe on PSB and SWB. In Study 2, we conducted three follow-up surveys of 788 junior high school students at intervals of six and three months and verified the mediating role of the quiet ego in the link between awe and PSB and subjective well-being (SWB) at the trait level. These findings offer preliminary support for a new theoretical framework for comprehending the positive effects of awe and enrich research exploring the antecedent variables of the quiet ego.