Interpersonal awe: Exploring the social domain of awe elicitors

In most studies on awe, the stimuli used to elicit the emotion involves nature, music, space, or grand theories – but awe elicited by the actions of other people has generally not been studied in depth. In the few cases in which the social component of awe has been acknowledged, the focus has been on charismatic leaders. The current study explores this social aspect of awe by asking whether awe can be elicited in close interpersonal relationships and how this experience may be distinct from awe elicited by other stimuli. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches in a mixed-methods study (N = 636), we found empirical support for the notion that awe is elicited in the context of close relationships. Awe was elicited by close others compared to a neutral control, although the interpersonal form of awe was less intense than awe caused by nature. Qualitative analyses revealed that awe triggered by nature was defined by themes of beauty, while interpersonal awe was defined by themes of virtue or excellence of character.