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Laura U, Brandon V. Prone to wellness? Dispositional awe, religion/spirituality, and well-being among academic scientists. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 2024; 123:103063. [PMID: 39256026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2024.103063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
Recent scholarship has identified a growing mental health crisis among scientists and those in academia more generally. This study draws from nationally representative survey data collected from physicists and biologists working in four countries-the United Kingdom, the United States, India, and Italy (N = 3442)-and examines how religion/spirituality relates to their physical and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential mediating role of dispositional awe, which involves transcendent experience. In the current age, science and religion are generally perceived to be in conflict, but recent evidence suggests they might be more complementary than was previously thought, especially in that they both evoke aesthetic experiences. Results from our regression and mediation analyses suggest that academic scientists who rated religion/spirituality as "very important" in their lives had higher overall flourishing scores, lower psychological distress, and were less likely to report that their mental and physical health had worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings present a strong and consistent case for the explanatory role of a sense of awe in these associations. Taken together, our research invites academic and scientific institutions to recognize and value the personal and spiritual dimensions that scientists may bring to their work.
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O'bi A, Yang F. Seeing awe: How children perceive awe-inspiring visual experiences. Child Dev 2024; 95:1271-1286. [PMID: 38294048 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Awe is a profound, self-transcendent emotion. To illuminate its origin, four preregistered studies examined how U.S. 4- to 9-year-old children perceive awe-inspiring stimuli (N = 444, 55% female, 58% White, tested in 2020-2023). Awe-inspiring expansive nature (Study 1) and natural disaster scenes (Study 2) evoked perceived vastness, motivation to explore, and awareness of the unknown more than everyday scenes did (d ranging 0.32-1.76). Compared to expansive social stimuli, expansive nature stimuli more positively affected children's sense of self (Study 3). Diverse awe-inspiring scenes (vast nature, natural disasters, and slow-motion objects) all elicited awe and higher learning motivation than everyday scenes did (Study 4). These findings suggest that children appreciate awe-inspiring visual experiences, illuminating the origins and nature of awe as a self-transcendent experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemisia O'bi
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Rohde JS, Goldy S, Graziosi M, Ferguson MA, Thrul J, Yaden DB. Centering and flourishing: an online intervention study assessing the effects of a Christian contemplative practice on stress-reduction and human flourishing. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:373. [PMID: 38956692 PMCID: PMC11218060 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01836-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite widespread engagement in contemplative religious practices, comparatively little research has been conducted on their potential effects on well-being. Furthermore, few studies have focused on how an explicitly religious framing may impact the outcomes of such practices. In this online randomized controlled trial (N = 702), we tested the well-being effects of a contemplative prayer practice called Centering Prayer on self-identifying Christians. We compared 1) presenting the practice with an explicitly religious framing (experimental condition), 2) presenting the practice without an explicitly religious framing (active control), and 3) presenting simple instructions to reflect on the day, without any instructions regarding a meditation-like practice (passive control). After randomization into one of these three conditions, participants were asked to complete their assigned practice daily for 28 days. We hypothesized that the religious framing version of the practice would increase well-being over the active and passive control conditions. Well-being was assessed at three follow-up time points: one day, one week, and one month after the practice period. We found no group differences between the conditions on our primary outcome measure of well-being at one-week post-intervention. Each group increased in well-being from baseline to follow-up. We found significant group differences on acute measures of spiritual experience, the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30) and Daily Spiritual Experience Questionnaire (DSES). These results suggest that a religious framing may not enhance well-being effects but may alter spiritual outcomes related to contemplative practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Rohde
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sean Goldy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marianna Graziosi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Michael A Ferguson
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, MA, Boston, USA
| | - Johannes Thrul
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - David B Yaden
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Dunivan DW, Mann P, Collins D, Wittmer DP. Expanding the empirical study of virtual reality beyond empathy to compassion, moral reasoning, and moral foundations. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1402754. [PMID: 38984284 PMCID: PMC11231641 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1402754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
This study utilizes a controlled experimental design to investigate the influence of a virtual reality experience on empathy, compassion, moral reasoning, and moral foundations. With continued debate and mixed results from previous studies attempting to show relationships between virtual reality and empathy, this study takes advantage of the technology for its ability to provide a consistent, repeatable experience, broadening the scope of analysis beyond empathy. A systematic literature review identified the most widely used and validated moral psychology assessments for the constructs, and these assessments were administered before and after the virtual reality experience. The study is comprised of two pre-post experiments with student participants from a university in the United States. The first experiment investigated change in empathy and moral foundations among 44 participants, and the second investigated change in compassion and moral reasoning among 69 participants. The results showed no significant change in empathy nor compassion, but significant change in moral reasoning from personal interest to post-conventional stages, and significant increase in the Care/harm factor of moral foundations. By testing four of the primary constructs of moral psychology with the most widely used and validated assessments in controlled experiments, this study attempts to advance our understanding of virtual reality and its potential to influence human morality. It also raises questions about our self-reported assessment tools and provides possible new insights for the constructs examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis W. Dunivan
- Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
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Stellar JE, Bai Y, Anderson CL, Gordon A, McNeil GD, Peng K, Keltner D. Culture and Awe: Understanding Awe as a Mixed Emotion. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2024; 5:160-170. [PMID: 39050041 PMCID: PMC11264640 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-024-00243-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Recent work is establishing awe as an important positive emotion that offers physical and psychological benefits. However, early theorizing suggests that awe's experience is often tinged with fear. How then, do we reconcile emergent positive conceptualizations of awe with its more fearful elements? We suggest that positive conceptualizations of awe may partially reflect modern Western experiences of this emotion, which make up the majority of participant samples when studying awe. To test whether awe contains more fearful qualities outside of Western cultures, we compared participants' experiences of this emotion in China to those in the United States. In a two-week daily diary study (Study 1), Chinese participants reported greater fear than American participants during experiences of awe, but not a comparison positive emotion. In response to a standardized awe induction (Study 2), Chinese participants reported more fear, whereas American participants reported more positive emotions. Physiological changes in autonomic activity differed by culture only for heart rate, but not skin conductance or respiratory sinus arrhythmia. These findings reveal that awe may be experienced as a more fearful, mixed emotion in China than in the United States and suggest that current positive conceptualizations of awe may reflect a disproportionate reliance on modern Western samples. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-024-00243-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Stellar
- Psychology Department, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Yang Bai
- Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Amie Gordon
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Galen D. McNeil
- Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Kaiping Peng
- Psychology Department, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Dacher Keltner
- Psychology Department, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
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Büssing A, Weit M, Baumann K. Experiences of Awe and Gratitude and Related Triggers Among Religious Brothers and Sisters: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study in Germany. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2024; 63:1880-1904. [PMID: 38240942 PMCID: PMC11060992 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01983-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
A cross-sectional survey among religious brothers and sisters (n = 250) with their specific lifestyle and related spiritual practices stated moments of awe perceptions. They responded to both the Awe/Gratitude scale and to free text fields to substantiate their quantitative responses. Qualitative content analysis of their free text responses resulted in six main categories of awe triggers: (1) Nature, (2) Special Moments, (3) Transcendence Perceptions, (4) Religious practices, (5) Distinct People, and (6) Aesthetics, Art and Culture. Awe perceptions can be an immediate feeling and the outcome of a process of reflection in response to admiration, inspiration, and elevation. As these perceptions are related to psychological well-being and prosocial behaviors, their training can generate positive effects on quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arndt Büssing
- Professorship Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Gerhard-Kienle-Weg 4, 59313, Herdecke, Germany.
- IUNCTUS - Competence Center for Christian Spirituality, Philosophical-Theological Academy, Münster, Germany.
| | - Michael Weit
- IUNCTUS - Competence Center for Christian Spirituality, Philosophical-Theological Academy, Münster, Germany
| | - Klaus Baumann
- Caritas Science and Christian Social Work, Faculty of Theology, Albert-Ludwig-University, 79085, Freiburg, Germany
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Zhang X, Li B, Qi G. A multi-featured expression recognition model incorporating attention mechanism and object detection structure for psychological problem diagnosis. Physiol Behav 2024; 280:114561. [PMID: 38641188 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Expression is the main method for judging the emotional state and psychological condition of the human body, and the prediction of changes in facial expressions can effectively determine the mental health of a person, thus avoiding serious psychological or psychiatric disorders due to early negligence. From a computer vision perspective, most researchers have focused on studying facial expression analysis, and in some cases, body posture is also considered. However their performance is more limited under unconstrained natural conditions, which requires more information to be used in human emotion analysis. In this paper, we design an Adaptive Multi-End Fusion Attention Mechanism suitable for extracting human body information based on the deep learning framework, depending on human expressions, postures and the environment they are in and add it to an object detection model to obtain the information we need from different regions of the human body and face and features of different sizes and use fusion networks for feature fusion and classification, and from different test methods to confirm that this fusion approach for expression recognition and prediction is feasible. This model achieves an average accuracy of 34.51 % in the Emotic contextual expression recognition dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bingyi Li
- Dalian Minzu University, Liaoning Province, China.
| | - Guobin Qi
- Dalian Minzu University, Liaoning Province, China
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Edwards ME, Helm PJ, Pratscher S, Bettencourt BA, Arndt J. The Impact of Awe on Existential Isolation: Evidence for Contrasting Pathways. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2024; 50:715-732. [PMID: 36631933 DOI: 10.1177/01461672221144597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
We propose that awe has multifaceted relations with existential isolation, a feeling of separation between the self and others or the world. Three studies examined the relation between awe and existential isolation via feelings of small self (vastness, self-size, self-perspectives) and a sense of connectedness. Awe (vs. a control topic) was induced either using virtual reality (Study 1) or a recall task (Studies 2 and 3) and was indirectly associated with higher and lower levels of existential isolation through differing pathways. Awe was associated with lower feelings of existential isolation via an increased sense of vastness, which in turn predicted greater connectedness; whereas awe was associated with higher feelings of existential isolation via increased sense of feeling small, which in turn predicted lower connectedness. This work advances understanding of the complex nature of awe-revealing its competing effects on the self and the social connectedness pathways through which awe can influence existential isolation.
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Lowe MX, Kettner H, Jolly DRP, Carhart-Harris RL, Jackson H. Long-term benefits to psychological health and well-being after ceremonial use of Ayahuasca in Middle Eastern and North African immigrants and refugees. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1279887. [PMID: 38666090 PMCID: PMC11044680 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1279887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Refugees and immigrants can experience complex stressors from the process of immigration that can have lasting and severe long-term mental health consequences. Experiences after ayahuasca ingestion are shown to produce positive effects on psychological wellbeing and mental health, including anecdotal reports of improved symptoms of trauma and related disorders. However, data on the longitudinal health impact of naturalistic ayahuasca use in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrant and refugee populations is limited. Aims The current longitudinal online survey study was conducted to gather prospective data on ceremonial ayahuasca use in a group (N = 15) of primarily female MENA immigrants and refugees and to provide further insight into the patterns and outcomes surrounding that use. The study sought to assess self-reported changes in physical and mental health, well-being, and psychological functioning, examine relationships between aspects of individual mindset (e.g., psychedelic preparedness) prior to ayahuasca use and observed outcomes during (e.g., subjective drug effects) and afterwards (i.e., persisting effects), characterize risks and negative experiences, and describe trauma exposure and personal history. Results/Outcomes Our findings revealed ceremonial use of ayahuasca is associated with significant improvements in mental health, well-being, and psychological functioning, including reductions in depression, anxiety, and shame, and increases in cognitive reappraisal and self-compassion. Most participants reported no lasting adverse effects and experienced notable positive behavioral changes persisting months after ingestion. Conclusion/Interpretation While preliminary, results suggest naturalistic ayahuasca use might hold therapeutic potential for MENA populations exposed to trauma prior to and during the process of migration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannes Kettner
- Psychedelics Division, Neuroscape, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Robin L. Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelics Division, Neuroscape, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Glynos NG, Aday JS, Kruger D, Boehnke KF, Lake S, Lucas P. Psychedelic substitution: altered substance use patterns following psychedelic use in a global survey. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1349565. [PMID: 38455520 PMCID: PMC10917882 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1349565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Recent research suggests that psychedelics may have potential for the treatment of various substance use disorders. However, most studies to date have been limited by small sample sizes and neglecting to include non-North American and European populations. Methods We conducted a global, cross-sectional online survey of adults (n = 5,268, 47.2% women) self-reporting past or current psychedelic use and investigated whether psychedelic use was associated with changes in use of other substances. Results Nearly three-quarters (70.9%; n = 3,737/5,268) reported ceasing or decreasing use of one or more non-psychedelic substances after naturalistic psychedelic use. Among those with previous use, 60.6% (n = 2,634/4,344) decreased alcohol use, 55.7% (n = 1,223/2,197) decreased antidepressant use, and 54.2% (n = 767/1,415) decreased use of cocaine/crack. Over a quarter of the sample indicated that their decrease in substance use persisted for 26 weeks or more following use of a psychedelic. Factors associated with decreased use included a motivation to either decrease one's substance use or self-treat a medical condition. Importantly, 19.8% of respondents also reported increased or initiated use of one or more other substances after psychedelic use, with illicit opioids (14.7%; n = 86/584) and cannabis (13.3%; n = 540/4,064) having the highest proportions. Factors associated with increased substance use included having a higher income and residing in Canada or the US. Discussion Although limited by cross-sectional study design, this large observational study will help inform future studies aiming to investigate the relationship between substance use patterns and psychedelic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas G. Glynos
- Anesthesiology Department, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Abor, MI, United States
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jacob S. Aday
- Anesthesiology Department, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Abor, MI, United States
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Daniel Kruger
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Kevin F. Boehnke
- Anesthesiology Department, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Abor, MI, United States
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stephanie Lake
- University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Aday JS, Bloesch EK, Davis AK, Domoff SE, Scherr K, Woolley JD, Davoli CC. Effects of Ayahuasca on Gratitude and Relationships with Nature: A Prospective, Naturalistic Study. J Psychoactive Drugs 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38310541 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2312980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Qualitative studies and anecdotal reports suggest that experiences with ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew found in Central and South America, may be followed by individuals enduringly feeling more grateful and connected to nature. Yet, to date, these changes have been understudied. Here, participants (N = 54) completed validated surveys related to gratitude, nature relatedness, and nature appreciation one-week before, one-week after, and one-month after attending an ayahuasca retreat center. Compared to baseline, there was a significant increase in gratitude, nature relatedness, and nature appreciation at the one-week and one-month follow-ups. Ratings of mystical-type experiences and awe, but not ego dissolution, during participants' ayahuasca sessions were weakly-to-moderately correlated with these increases. The number of ayahuasca ceremonies attended at the retreat was not related to change in outcomes, underscoring the importance of the quality rather than the quantity of the experiences in post-acute change. Lastly, participant age was negatively related to the occurrence of mystical-type experiences and awe, supporting literature indicating blunted psychedelic effects with increased age. In the context of study limitations, the results suggest that mystical-type experiences and awe occasioned by ayahuasca may be linked to prosocial changes in gratitude and relationships with nature that may be beneficial to mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S Aday
- Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
- Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Emily K Bloesch
- Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Alan K Davis
- Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, US
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah E Domoff
- Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Kyle Scherr
- Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Josh D Woolley
- Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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12
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Jacobi C, Varga PJ, Jessani Z, Vaidyanathan B. Individual differences in scientists' aesthetic disposition, aesthetic experiences, and aesthetic sensitivity in scientific work. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1197870. [PMID: 38259562 PMCID: PMC10800433 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1197870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The role of personality in shaping engagement with aesthetics in science has been almost entirely unexplored. Whereas artists and arts settings (e.g., museums) are well-studied from a psychological perspective, the practice of science has often been seen as purely rational or dry. In response, this study presents novel findings on the critical role of scientists' individual differences, which shape their engagement with aesthetics, such as the frequency of their experiences of beauty, wonder, and awe in their scientific work. Methods Based on a very large and representative four-country study of scientists in the fields of biology and physics (N = 3,092), this study analyzed the associations of Big Five personality traits among scientists with (i) dispositional aesthetics (DPES-awe), (ii) the frequency of aesthetic experiences in scientific work, and (iii) aesthetic sensitivity in science. These survey-weighted OLS regression models included extensive statistical controls for sociodemographic factors. Results As hypothesized, openness is positively, and neuroticism is negatively linked with dispositional aesthetics, the frequency of aesthetic experiences in scientific work, and aesthetic sensitivity in science. Unexpectedly, agreeableness and conscientiousness (but not extraversion) are highly significant and strong predictors of the three trait and state aesthetic engagement variables. Discussion The aesthetic engagement and personality framework of this paper is empirically supported and demonstrates the importance of personality types of scientists in the practice of science. The unexpectedly strong association of agreeableness with aesthetic engagement points to the importance of cooperation, collaboration, and communication to maximize scientific creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Jacobi
- Department of Sociology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Peter J. Varga
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Zohaib Jessani
- Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Brandon Vaidyanathan
- Department of Sociology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, United States
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Takano R, Matsuo A, Kawano K. Development of a Japanese version of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S): A structural topic modeling approach. F1000Res 2023; 12:515. [PMID: 37900197 PMCID: PMC10611950 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.134275.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Awe, a complex emotion, arises in response to perceptually and conceptually vast stimuli that transcend one's current frames of reference, which is associated with subjective psychological phenomena, such as a sense of self and consciousness. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S), a widely used questionnaire that robustly measured the state of awe, and simultaneously investigated how the multiple facets of awe related to the narrative representations of awe experiences. METHODS The Japanese AWE-S was created via back-translation and its factor structure and validity was investigated through an online survey in Japan. RESULTS The results revealed that the Japanese AWE-S consisted of the same six factors as the original (i.e., time, self-loss, connectedness, vastness, physiological, and accommodation) and had sufficient internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and also Japan-specific characteristics. The structured topic modeling generated seven potential topics of the descriptions of awe experiences, which were differently associated with each factor of the Japanese AWE-S. CONCLUSIONS Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of awe and reveal the constructs of awe in Japan through cross-cultural comparisons. Furthermore, this study provides conceptual and methodological implications regarding studies on awe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Takano
- Kojimachi Business Center Building, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan
- Department of Social Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Akiko Matsuo
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Kawano
- Department of Psychology, Tokai Gakuen University, Nagoya, Aichi, 468-8514, Japan
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Johansen L, Liknaitzky P, Nedeljkovic M, Murray G. How psychedelic-assisted therapy works for depression: expert views and practical implications from an exploratory Delphi study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1265910. [PMID: 37840802 PMCID: PMC10568016 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1265910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
As investigations into the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to treat depression continue, there is a need to study the possible mechanisms of action that may contribute to the treatment's antidepressant effects. Through a two-round Delphi design, the current study investigated experts' opinions on the psychological mechanisms of action associated with the antidepressant effects of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and the ways such mechanisms may be promoted through the preparation, dosing, and integration components of treatment. Fourteen and fifteen experts, including both clinical psychedelic researchers and therapists, participated in Round 1 and Round 2 of the study, respectively. Thematic analysis identified nine important or promising 'mechanistic themes' from Round 1 responses: psychological flexibility, self-compassion, mystical experiences, self-transcendence, meaning enhancement, cognitive reframing, awe, memory reconsolidation and ego dissolution. These mechanisms were presented back to experts in Round 2, where they rated 'psychological flexibility' and 'self-compassion' to be the most important psychological mechanisms in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for depression. Strategies or interventions recommended to promote identified mechanisms during the preparation, dosing, and integration components of treatment were nonspecific to the endorsed mechanism. The findings from this study provide direction for future confirmatory mechanistic research as well as provisional ideas for how to support these possible therapeutic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Johansen
- Centre for Mental Health, Department of Psychological Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul Liknaitzky
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Maja Nedeljkovic
- Centre for Mental Health, Department of Psychological Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Greg Murray
- Centre for Mental Health, Department of Psychological Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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15
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Thompson J. NASA resilience and leadership: examining the phenomenon of awe. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1158437. [PMID: 37359869 PMCID: PMC10288108 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examines how a phenomenon, awe, along with related resilience practices, is perceived by a NASA medical and mental health professional, who also serves in a leadership role, and how awe has impacted their work and personal life. Considering both their leadership role and how their work involves supporting the wellbeing of astronauts pre-mission, during missions, and post-mission, the potential impact of awe on the NASA expert has individual implications along with many others, especially in stressful environments. The results indicate that reflecting on awe experiences can support a person finding meaning and purpose in their life, evoke gratitude, increase social connectedness, promote optimism and other resilience skills in the moment, and generally have a sustainable positive effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Thompson
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN, United States
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16
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Thompson J, Jensen E. Hostage negotiator resilience: A phenomenological study of awe. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1122447. [PMID: 37113118 PMCID: PMC10127252 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1122447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Law enforcement crisis and hostage negotiators (CHNs) are tasked with resolving incidents that are stressful, unpredictable, and often dangerous. These negotiators must work as a team and be able to successfully utilize a variety of skills in order to gain the subject's voluntary compliance and peaceful surrender. It is necessary for negotiators to continually practice these skills while also, and importantly, care for their own wellbeing. This study examines how a phenomenon, awe, when viewed as a resilience practice, can support law enforcement crisis hostage negotiators with their crisis work and personal wellness. Utilizing phenomenological methodologies, the findings demonstrate that reflecting on awe experiences had an overall positive impact on the negotiators in both their professional and personal lives. Based on the results, it is suggested that awe practices could be incorporated into future negotiator trainings in order to increase resilience and assist negotiators personally and professionally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Thompson
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Institute for Conflict Management, College of Leadership and Public Policy, Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Elizabeth Jensen
- Clinical Psychology, Long Island University-Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY, United States
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17
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Wu Q, Cui L, Han X, Ding W, He W. Awe and wise reasoning in adolescents: The mediating role of small-self and need for relatedness. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15235. [PMID: 37101639 PMCID: PMC10123139 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Interpersonal conflict is inevitable in the adolescent socialization process; wise reasoning is applicable to and effective for interpersonal conflict problem solving. However, the role of emotions in wise reasoning remains unclear and less explored in empirical research. According, this study explored the relationship between awe and wise reasoning, and proposed the influence pathways from the self-transcendence of awe to examine the facilitative effect of decentralized emotions on wise reasoning. Method: A total of 812 tenth and eleventh graders (age range 15-19 years, M = 16.07, SD = 0.76, 54.6% male) from a high school in Zhejiang, China completed self-report questionnaires that measured awe, small-self, need for relatedness, and wise reasoning via an online survey. Results Structural equation models demonstrated that adolescents' trait awe positively predicted their wisdom in conflict situations-wise reasoning directly and indirectly through the parallel mediating role of small-self and need for relatedness. Conclusions This finding validates the facilitative effect of decentralized emotions on wise reasoning and the internal and external influence pathways. The study laid the foundation for future exploration of the role of emotion types on wise reasoning and provided practical guidance for the solution of interpersonal conflict in social interactions among adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Wu
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Liying Cui
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Xianguo Han
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Wei Ding
- Department of elementary education, College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Street, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200234, People’s Republic of China
- Corresponding author. Department of elementary education, College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Street, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200234, People’s Republic of China.
| | - Wen He
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
- Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Street, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200234, People's Republic of China.
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18
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Chirico A, Pizzolante M, Borghesi F, Bartolotta S, Sarcinella ED, Cipresso P, Gaggioli A. "Standing Up for Earth Rights": Awe-Inspiring Virtual Nature for Promoting Pro-Environmental Behaviors. CYBERPSYCHOLOGY, BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL NETWORKING 2023; 26:300-308. [PMID: 37015077 DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2022.0260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Virtual nature exposure has emerged as an effective method for promoting pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, also due to the increased emotional connection with nature itself. However, the role played by complex emotions elicited by virtual nature, such as awe, needs to be fully elucidated. Awe is an emotion stemming from vast stimuli, including nature, and virtual reality (VR) emerged as an effective medium to elicit it. One hundred nineteen participants were exposed to either one of four VR environments: (a) an awe-inspiring virtual nature, (b) a non-natural awe-inspiring virtual scenario, (c) a non-awe-inspiring virtual nature, (d) a non-natural non-awe-inspiring scenario. Pro-environmental attitudes, intentions, discrete emotions, and affect were measured and compared across the different conditions. Two ad hoc tasks were developed to measure two pro-environmental behaviors after each VR exposure. Participants were invited to sign a real petition against plastic production, consumption, and in favor of plastic recycling (a personally engaging behavior), and to take flyers to spread the word on the petition to friends and acquaintances (a socially engaging behavior). Awe-inspiring virtual nature resulted in a significantly increased number of flyers taken by participants (vs. control). Disposition toward the protection of the environment, positive emotional affect, and condition significantly correlated with the number of flyers taken. These results indicated that awe-inspiring virtual nature can influence socially engaging pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors but not personally engaging ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Chirico
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Pizzolante
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Sabrina Bartolotta
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora D Sarcinella
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Cipresso
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Gaggioli
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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19
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Zuo S, Wang F, Hong YY, Chan HW, Chiu CPY, Wang X. Ecological introspection resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic: the threat perception of the pandemic was positively related to pro-environmental behaviors. THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2023.2190923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shijiang Zuo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying-Yi Hong
- Business School, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Hoi-Wing Chan
- Business School, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | | | - Xue Wang
- Business School, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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20
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Abstract
How do experiences in nature or in spiritual contemplation or in being moved by music or with psychedelics promote mental and physical health? Our proposal in this article is awe. To make this argument, we first review recent advances in the scientific study of awe, an emotion often considered ineffable and beyond measurement. Awe engages five processes-shifts in neurophysiology, a diminished focus on the self, increased prosocial relationality, greater social integration, and a heightened sense of meaning-that benefit well-being. We then apply this model to illuminate how experiences of awe that arise in nature, spirituality, music, collective movement, and psychedelics strengthen the mind and body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Monroy
- Department of Psychology, University of California,
Berkeley
| | - Dacher Keltner
- Department of Psychology, University of California,
Berkeley
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21
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Liu J, Huo Y, Wang J, Bai Y, Zhao M, Di M. Awe of nature and well-being: Roles of nature connectedness and powerlessness. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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22
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Aqil M, Roseman L. More than meets the eye: The role of sensory dimensions in psychedelic brain dynamics, experience, and therapeutics. Neuropharmacology 2023; 223:109300. [PMID: 36334767 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Psychedelics are undergoing a major resurgence of scientific and clinical interest. While multiple theories and frameworks have been proposed, there is yet no universal agreement on the mechanisms underlying the complex effects of psychedelics on subjective experience and brain dynamics, nor their therapeutic benefits. Despite being prominent in psychedelic phenomenology and distinct from those elicited by other classes of hallucinogens, the effects of psychedelics on low-level sensory - particularly visual - dimensions of experience, and corresponding brain dynamics, have often been disregarded by contemporary research as 'epiphenomenal byproducts'. Here, we review available evidence from neuroimaging, pharmacology, questionnaires, and clinical studies; we propose extensions to existing models, provide testable hypotheses for the potential therapeutic roles of psychedelic-induced visual hallucinations, and simulations of visual phenomena relying on low-level cortical dynamics. In sum, we show that psychedelic-induced alterations in low-level sensory dimensions 1) are unlikely to be entirely causally reconducible to high-level alterations, but rather co-occur with them in a dialogical interplay, and 2) are likely to play a causally relevant role in determining high-level alterations and therapeutic outcomes. We conclude that reevaluating the currently underappreciated role of sensory dimensions in psychedelic states will be highly valuable for neuroscience and clinical practice, and that integrating low-level and domain-specific aspects of psychedelic effects into existing nonspecific models is a necessary step to further understand how these substances effect both acute and long-term change in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Aqil
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, the Netherlands; Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Institute for Neuroscience, the Netherlands; Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije University Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Leor Roseman
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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23
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Bagienski SE, Kuhn G. A balanced view of impossible aesthetics: An empirical investigation of how impossibility relates to our enjoyment of magic tricks. Iperception 2023; 14:20416695221142537. [PMID: 36636255 PMCID: PMC9829883 DOI: 10.1177/20416695221142537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The performance art of magic allows us to experience the impossible, and this study used a balancing magic trick to investigate the relationship between participants' enjoyment and perceived impossibility. Participants watched a live performance of a magic trick in which the magician balanced objects in progressively more impossible configurations. At seven different time points observers rated their enjoyment, and the extent to which they believed what they saw was impossible. Regression analysis revealed that participants' enjoyment of the magical effect relates to their perceived impossibility of the magic trick, and this relationship was independent of how much they enjoyed magic in general. Moreover, a one-way within-subjects analysis of variance showed that participants enjoyed the performance More as the trick became more impossible. However, once the magical effect was anticipated, enjoyment began to plateau while perceived impossibility continued to increase. These results are discussed in the context of people's aesthetic appreciation of magic and current arts appreciation models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gustav Kuhn
- Gustav Kuhn, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK.
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24
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van Houwelingen-Snippe J, Ben Allouch S, van Rompay TJL. Designing digital nature for older adults: A mixed method approach. Digit Health 2023; 9:20552076231218504. [PMID: 38053734 PMCID: PMC10695079 DOI: 10.1177/20552076231218504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Loneliness and social isolation are pressing issues that can seriously impact the mental health and well-being of older adults. Interacting with nature can stimulate a feeling of connectedness. However, for older adults, access to nature is often troublesome because of physical limitations and mobility restrictions. Methods In the present mixed-method study, 37 older adults (62-99 years old) with varying care needs and mobility restrictions watched a video presenting a walkthrough of a simulated digital nature landscape. Results Quantitative results show a significant increase in social connectedness scores and enhanced peacefulness after experiencing a digital nature. Qualitative results stress the importance of variations in nature scenery and highlight the influence of contextual and person-related factors including nature experiences throughout the life span and mobility constraints that older adults may face. Conclusion These findings testify to the potential of using digital nature as a complementary strategy when interactions with outdoor nature become increasingly difficult due to old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josca van Houwelingen-Snippe
- Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Somaya Ben Allouch
- Digital Life, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Digital Interactions, Informatics Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas J. L. van Rompay
- Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
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25
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Jiao L, Luo L. Dispositional Awe Positively Predicts Prosocial Tendencies: The Multiple Mediation Effects of Connectedness and Empathy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16605. [PMID: 36554484 PMCID: PMC9779239 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Awe is an emotion frequently experienced by individuals in different cultures. When individuals experience awe, they would feel a sense of connectedness to other people or nature arises, and shift their attention to the outside world, which would increase empathy for others in need and, in turn, improve their prosocial tendencies. To test this proposal, we applied a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey to collect a sample of 1545 (Nfemale = 988) in Asia, aged between 16 and 71 years old (M = 22.81, SD = 7.80). The Structural Equation Model and bootstrapping method were used to test the mediation effects of connectedness and empathy between awe and prosocial tendency. Results showed that dispositional awe positively predicted a prosocial tendency, which could be partially explained by the multiple mediation effects of connectedness and empathy, after controlling for the effect of the small self. The findings deepen researchers' understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between awe and prosociality and have practical implications for cultivating awe and prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Jiao
- The Department of Economics and Management, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641112, China
| | - Li Luo
- The Department of Education Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641112, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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26
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Isham A, Elf P, Jackson T. Self-transcendent experiences as promoters of ecological wellbeing? Exploration of the evidence and hypotheses to be tested. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1051478. [PMID: 36452396 PMCID: PMC9701724 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1051478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, much has been written on the role of different mental states and their potential to influence our way of thinking and, perhaps more importantly, the way we act. With the recent acceleration of environmental and mental health issues, alongside the limited effectiveness of existing interventions, an exploration of new approaches to deliver transformative change is required. We therefore explore the emerging potential of a type of mental state known as self-transcendent experiences (STEs) as a driver of ecological wellbeing. We focus on four types of STEs: those facilitated by experiences of flow, awe, and mindfulness, as well as by psychedelic-induced experiences. Some of these experiences can occur naturally, through sometimes unexpected encounters with nature or during immersion in every-day activities that one intrinsically enjoys, as well as through more intentional practices such as meditation or the administration of psychedelics in controlled, legal settings. We explore the evidence base linking each of the four types of STE to ecological wellbeing before proposing potential hypotheses to be tested to understand why STEs can have such beneficial effects. We end by looking at the factors that might need to be considered if STEs are going to be practically implemented as a means of achieving ecological wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Isham
- Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP), Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Elf
- Middlesex University Business School, Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR), Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Jackson
- Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP), Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
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27
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Pérez KA, Lench HC, Thompson CG, North S. Experimental elicitations of awe: a meta-analysis. Cogn Emot 2022; 37:18-33. [PMID: 36331080 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2140126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A meta-analytic review of studies that experimentally elicited awe and compared the emotion to other conditions (84; 487 effects; 17,801 participants) examined the degree to which experimentally elicited awe (1) affects outcomes relative to other positive emotions (2) affects experience, judgment, behaviour, and physiology, and (3) differs in its effects if the awe state was elicited through positive or threatening contexts. The efficacy of methods that have been used to experimentally elicit awe and the possibility of assessing changes in the state of the self with experimental awe elicitations were also examined. Meta-analyses with robust variance estimation revealed that awe affected outcomes compared to other positive emotions and control conditions; affected experience, judgment, and behaviour; and had similar effects if elicited through positive or threatening contexts. The ability to compare awe to negative emotion states and its effects on physiology was limited by a small number of available effects. Images, videos, autobiographical recall, and naturalistic exposure were effective in eliciting awe. Exploratory analyses suggested that some processes involved in changes in the self can be related to experimental awe elicitations. These findings suggest awe is a discrete emotion and identifies areas for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A. Pérez
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut—Avery Point, Groton, CT, USA
| | - Heather C. Lench
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Sophia North
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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28
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Jensen ME, Stenbæk DS, Juul TS, Fisher PM, Ekstrøm CT, Knudsen GM, Fink-Jensen A. Psilocybin-assisted therapy for reducing alcohol intake in patients with alcohol use disorder: protocol for a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled 12-week clinical trial (The QUANTUM Trip Trial). BMJ Open 2022; 12:e066019. [PMID: 36241352 PMCID: PMC9577917 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alcohol use disorder is a difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorder and a major burden on public health. Existing treatment efficacy is moderate, and relapse rates are high. Preliminary findings suggest that psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, can safely and reliably occasion highly meaningful experiences that may spur a positive change in drinking behaviour when administered in a therapeutic context. However, the efficacy of a single psilocybin administration and its potential neurobiological underpinnings still remain unknown. METHODS AND ANALYSIS To establish efficacy, we will investigate the effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy versus placebo in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled 12-week clinical trial. Ninety treatment-seeking patients, aged 20-70 years, diagnosed with alcohol use disorder will be recruited from the community via advertisement and referrals from general practitioners or specialised treatment units. The psilocybin or placebo will be administered in accordance with a protocol for psychological support before, during and after the dosing. Outcome assessments will be carried out 1, 4, 8 and 12 weeks postdosing. The primary outcome is reduction in the percentage of heavy drinking days from baseline to follow-up at 12 weeks. Key secondary outcomes are as follows: (1) total alcohol consumption, (2) phosphatidyl-ethanol, an objective biomarker for alcohol, (3) plasma psilocin, the active metabolite, to establish a possible therapeutic range, (4) the acute subjective drug experience as a possible predictor of treatment outcome and (5) neuronal response to alcohol cues and cognitive flexibility within corticostriatal pathways by use of functional MR brain imaging 1-week postdosing. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval has been obtained from the Committee on Health Research Ethics of the Capital Region of Denmark (H-20043832). All patients will be provided oral and written information about the trial before screening. The study results will be disseminated by peer-review publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER EudraCT 2020-000829-55 and NCT05416229.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dea Siggaard Stenbæk
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tobias Søgaard Juul
- Psychiatry Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Patrick MacDonald Fisher
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Thorn Ekstrøm
- Department of Public Health, Section of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitte Moos Knudsen
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Fink-Jensen
- Psychiatry Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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29
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Luo L, Zou R, Yang D, Yuan J. Awe experience trigged by fighting against COVID-19 promotes prosociality through increased feeling of connectedness and empathy. THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2022.2131607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Li Luo
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China 610066
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China 400715
- The Department of Education Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, China 641112
| | - Rong Zou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Sport Training and Monitoring, Department of Psychology, College of Health Science, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, China 430079
| | - Dong Yang
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China 610066
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China 400715
| | - Jiajin Yuan
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China 610066
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China 400715
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Kautish P, Khare A. Investigating the moderating role of AI-enabled services on flow and awe experience. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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31
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Uchida Y, Nakayama M, Bowen KS. Interdependence of Emotion: Conceptualization, Evidence, and Social Implications From Cultural Psychology. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09637214221109584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
People feel a wide range of emotions. In many psychological traditions, emotions are defined as primarily emerging from within the individual, even if influenced by external factors (e.g., approval from other people). This definition is consistent with an independent self-construal. However, in some contexts, emotions are understood to have more interdependent characteristics that can be shared with other people and that arise from social contexts and collective, shared situations. We define the lay theory of interdependence of emotion as the perception that emotional experience or its causes and consequences are shared with other people. Interdependence of emotion can be conceptualized along a spectrum, rather than as categorical. Additionally, the degree to which people understand emotions as interdependent likely varies by cultural context. In this article, we review studies that have investigated this lay theory of emotions across cultures, focusing on function. We suggest that people from non-WEIRD cultures (i.e., cultures that are not Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) are more likely than others to experience emotions as interdependent. Next, we highlight examples of this interdependence, focusing on two specific emotions: happiness and awe, which may have both independent and interdependent elements. The mechanisms and functions of the lay theory of interdependence of emotions are discussed using the example of a current collective threat, COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Uchida
- Institute for the Future of Human Society, Kyoto University
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The perceived duration of vast spaces is mediated by awe. Atten Percept Psychophys 2022; 84:2562-2581. [PMID: 36045311 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-022-02542-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Looking out over the Pacific Ocean or the Grand Canyon can lead to a sense of vastness. As a perceptual phenomenon, vastness poses a unique challenge because traditional measures of distance are not capable of explaining such large spatial extents. Vastness, however, may lead to a sense of awe, and awe, in turn, can dilate one's experience of time. Time, then, may be a meaningful proxy measure of vastness. Whether vastness is related to the perception of time and if the emotional experience of awe plays a role in that relation was explored herein. Across three experiments, we examined the relation between vastness, awe, and perceived time. In Experiment 1, participants reproduced the perceived duration of images varying in vastness and rated them in terms of the awe experienced as if they were in the spaces. Greater vastness led to higher awe scores and longer duration estimates, with awe mediating the relation between vastness and time. Experiment 1 assessed if the average brightness of images, absent of scene structure, explained changes in perceived duration. Brightness did not explain variance in perceived duration; thus, the scene structure of vast scenes may play a role in altering perceived time. Experiment 1 examined if scene semantics could explain changes in perceived duration. Whereas the relation between vastness and perceived duration vanished, a weak, mediated effect still occurred. Ultimately, time may not be a proxy measure of vastness, but we find evidence that emotion can link the relation between spatial and temporal perception.
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Tee EY, binti Raja Reza Shah RIA. Self‐transcendent emotions and their influence on organizational effectiveness: A literature review and synthesis. ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Y.J. Tee
- Department of Psychology Higher Education Learning Philosophy (HELP) University Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
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Løvoll HS, Sæther KW. Awe experiences, the sublime, and spiritual well-being in Arctic wilderness. Front Psychol 2022; 13:973922. [PMID: 36072039 PMCID: PMC9441896 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.973922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiences of awe can carry the potential for life-transforming experiences and foster awareness of nature as a lifelong value. How these experiences emerge was investigated empirically in a pristine natural environment and analyzed informed by a bottom-up perspective with an interdisciplinary understanding of environmental aesthetics and positive psychology. A group of Arctic nature guide students (n = 34) was followed on an 8-day advanced glacier course with additional learning topics related to the Arctic landscape and history, wildlife, and how to protect a wilderness camp from polar bear attacks. After this experience, students were invited to participate in the research project and were asked to reflect on their experiences immediately after their return to civilization. Two narratives each from 27 participants were collected, which provided 54 quotations for interpretation. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) surfaced three main themes: context, human response to encounters with nature, and transformation. The study of awe brings the tension between spirituality and well-being closer. The findings add empirical knowledge to the understanding of the contexts for these highly affective and complex feelings. The findings also add refined knowledge about the relationship between awe and the sublime. In transformation for human well-being, the role of self-knowledge or self-transcendence surfaced by wilderness experiences should not be underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helga Synnevåg Løvoll
- Department of Physical Education, Volda University College, Volda, Norway
- *Correspondence: Helga Synnevåg Løvoll,
| | - Knut-Willy Sæther
- Department of Religious Studies, Volda University College, Volda, Norway
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Su W, Sun X, Guo X, Zhang W, Li G. An analysis of awe evoked by COVID-19 on green purchasing behavior: A dual-path effect of approach-avoidance motivation. Front Psychol 2022; 13:952485. [PMID: 36033010 PMCID: PMC9407682 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.952485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of the COVID-19 virus shows that it is time to re-emphasize the ethical attitude of “awe of others, awe of nature, and awe of life.” It once again reveals the importance of green development. In this study, we introduce awe into the context of COVID-19 and construct an “emotion-motivation-behavior” framework, aiming to explore the relationship between the epidemic and green purchasing behavior from a psychological perspective. Study 1 demonstrates the effect of awe on green purchasing and examines the mediating role of the motivation perspective, to reveal the potential different path. Specifically, prosocial motivation mediates the effect of positive awe evoked by COVID-19 on green purchasing; risk avoidance motivation mediates the effect of negative awe evoked by COVID-19 on green purchasing. Study 2 examined the moderating effect of self-construal. These findings have important management implications for enterprises to correctly use emotional guidance strategies and promote green marketing practices during the COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihuan Su
- School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xixiang Sun
- School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaodong Guo
- School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaodong Guo
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Safety Science and Emergency Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
- Wei Zhang
| | - Gen Li
- School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
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Jacobi CJ, Varga PJ, Vaidyanathan B. Aesthetic experiences and flourishing in science: A four-country study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:923940. [PMID: 36017445 PMCID: PMC9396270 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to the mental health crisis in science, and amid concerns about the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientists, this study seeks to identify the role of a heretofore under-researched factor for flourishing and eudaimonia: aesthetic experiences in scientific work. The main research question that this study addresses is: To what extent is the frequency of encountering aesthetics in terms of beauty, awe, and wonder in scientific work associated with greater well-being among scientists? Based on a large-scale (N = 3,061) and representative international survey of scientists (biologists and physicists) in four countries (India, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States), this study employs sets of nested regressions to model the associations of aesthetic experiences with flourishing while controlling for demographic factors and negative workplace and life circumstances such as burnout, job/publication pressure, mistreatment, COVID-19 impacts, other stressful life events, serious psychological distress, and chronic health conditions. The results show that the frequency of aesthetic experiences in scientific work in the disciplines of biology and physics has a very large and statistically significant association with flourishing and eudaimonia that remains robust even when controlling for demographic factors and negative workplace and life circumstances, including COVID-19 impacts. Aesthetic experiences in scientific work are even as strongly associated with flourishing as the presence of serious psychological distress and are most strongly associated with the flourishing domain of meaning in life, thus pointing to a link with eudaimonic well-being. In line with neurophysiological evidence and positive psychological models of flow, self-transcendence, and intrinsic motivation, aesthetics are a key source of flourishing for scientists in the disciplines of biology and physics. While future research needs to test the causal mechanism, the strength of the findings could encourage leaders of scientific labs and research organizations generally to remove obstacles to experiencing the aesthetic dimensions of science. Fostering cultures in which the aesthetic experiences that are intrinsic to scientific practice are fully appreciated might potentially protect or boost flourishing by reducing the impacts of burnout, job/publication pressure, and mistreatment-related experiences in science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Jacobi
- Department of Sociology, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Christopher J. Jacobi,
| | - Peter J. Varga
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Christ Church, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Brandon Vaidyanathan
- Department of Sociology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, United States
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Roseman L, Preller KH, Fotiou E, Winkelman MJ. Editorial: Psychedelic sociality: Pharmacological and extrapharmacological perspectives. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:979764. [PMID: 35935854 PMCID: PMC9355415 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.979764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leor Roseman
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Leor Roseman,
| | - Katrin H. Preller
- Pharmaco-Neuroimaging and Cognitive-Emotional Processing, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael J. Winkelman
- Retired, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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van Elk M, Yaden DB. Pharmacological, neural, and psychological mechanisms underlying psychedelics: A critical review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104793. [PMID: 35878791 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
This paper provides a critical review of several possible mechanisms at different levels of analysis underlying the effects and therapeutic potential of psychedelics. At the (1) biochemical level, psychedelics primarily affect the 5-HT2A receptor, increase neuroplasticity, offer a critical period for social reward learning, and have anti-inflammatory properties. At the (2) neural level, psychedelics have been associated with reduced efficacy of thalamo-cortical filtering, the loosening of top-down predictive signaling and an increased sensitivity to bottom-up prediction errors, and activation of the claustro-cortical-circuit. At the (3) psychological level, psychedelics have been shown to induce altered and affective states, they affect cognition, induce belief change, exert social effects, and can result in lasting changes in behavior. We outline the potential for a unifying account of the mechanisms underlying psychedelics and contrast this with a model of pluralistic causation. Ultimately, a better understanding of the specific mechanisms underlying the effects of psychedelics could allow for a more targeted therapeutic approach. We highlight current challenges for psychedelic research and provide a research agenda to foster insight in the causal-mechanistic pathways underlying the efficacy of psychedelic research and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel van Elk
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - David Bryce Yaden
- The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
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Severin MI, Raes F, Notebaert E, Lambrecht L, Everaert G, Buysse A. A Qualitative Study on Emotions Experienced at the Coast and Their Influence on Well-Being. Front Psychol 2022; 13:902122. [PMID: 35756269 PMCID: PMC9226434 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.902122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal environments are increasingly shown to have a positive effect on our health and well-being. Various mechanisms have been suggested to explain this effect. However, so far little focus has been devoted to emotions that might be relevant in this context, especially for people who are directly or indirectly exposed to the coast on a daily basis. Our preregistered qualitative study explored how coastal residents experience the emotions they feel at the coast and how they interpret the effect these emotions have on them. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of eight Belgian coastal residents aged 21-25 years old. The interviews were analyzed with the approach of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five superordinate themes were identified and indicate that, for our participants, the coast represents a safe haven (1) in which they can experience emotional restoration (2), awe (3), and nostalgia (4). These emotional states are accompanied with adaptive emotion regulating strategies (5), such as reflection and positive reappraisal, that may facilitate coping with difficult thoughts and feelings. Our study demonstrates the importance of investigating specific emotions and related processes triggered at the coast and how these could contribute to the therapeutic value of the coast.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Filip Raes
- Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evie Notebaert
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luka Lambrecht
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Ann Buysse
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Frymann T, Whitney S, Yaden DB, Lipson J. The Psychedelic Integration Scales: Tools for Measuring Psychedelic Integration Behaviors and Experiences. Front Psychol 2022; 13:863247. [PMID: 35677137 PMCID: PMC9168432 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.863247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we describe the development and initial validation of two psychometric scales for measuring psychedelic integration. Psychedelic integration refers to the post-acute period of time following psychedelic drug administration. We created the Integration Engagement Scale (IES) to capture positive behavioral engagement with integration and the Experienced Integration Scale (EIS) to capture internal aspects of feeling integrated. These scales were developed to measure post-acute psychedelic administration dynamics in order to inform the creation of enhanced integration support and to help refine a general conceptual understanding of the construct of psychedelic integration. The scales are brief and face valid instruments designed for practical use in applied and research settings. Scale items were generated and refined using the Iterative Process Model of scale development, with input from psychedelics experts and clinicians. Content validity, internal structure, and reliability were assessed via expert surveys, content validity analysis, cognitive interviewing, convergent validity analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The data indicates the scales are valid and reliable measurements of the behavioral and experiential forms of Psychedelic Integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Frymann
- Psychology and Spirituality Lab, Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sophie Whitney
- Depth and Clinical Psychology, Pacifica Graduate University, Carpinteria, CA, United States
| | - David B Yaden
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Joshua Lipson
- Psychology and Spirituality Lab, Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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41
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Sawada K, Nomura M. Developing and validating the Japanese version of the situational Awe cale (SAS-J). CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-02808-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe experience of awe, an emotional response to vast stimuli overwhelming ones’ current mental structure, has often been measured using a questionnaire method. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate the Japanese version of the Situational Awe Scale (SAS), which is a useful tool for measuring awe experiences from the perspective of the discriminability between positive- and threat-awe. The present study investigated the factor structure and validity of the Japanese version of the SAS (SAS-J) using awe-inducing video clips, through three online surveys (N = 1034; mean age = 38.74, SD = 10.95, range = 18–75). Results revealed that the SAS-J consisted of the same four factors as the original SAS (i.e., connection, oppression, chills, and diminished self) and had the convergent, criterion, and discriminative validity in measuring both positive- and threat-awe experiences. Additionally, results showed that the SAS-J could distinguish between positive- and threat-awe experiences. These results suggested that the SAS-J could measure both positive- and threat-awe experiences with validity. This study would make a methodological contribution to awe research.
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Earleywine M, Low F, De Leo J. A Semantic Scale Network analysis of the revised Mystical Experiences Questionnaire: A call for collaboration. JOURNAL OF PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES 2022. [DOI: 10.1556/2054.2021.00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background and aims
Multiple laboratories have proposed measures of subjective effects of psychedelics as potential mediators of their therapeutic impact. Other work has identified individual differences that covary with subjective responses in informative ways. The range of potential measures of responses, traits, and outcomes is vast. Ideas for new measures are likely numerous. The field will progress efficiently if proposed new scales can add incremental validity. Semantic Scale Network analyses identify conceptual overlap among scales based on items (rather than participant ratings), which could help laboratories avoid putting effort into measures that are unlikely to account for unique variance. Semantic Scale Network analyses can also reveal links to constructs from disparate research literatures, potentially helping investigators generate novel hypotheses and explain connections among disparate findings. The results of Semantic Scale Network analyses have the potential to improve as more investigators enter their scales into the corpus.
Method
Example analyses using the revised Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ) underscore the uniqueness and discriminant validity of the MEQ subscales.
Results
Findings dovetail with published theorizing and suggest potentially novel links with different therapeutic effects. The MEQ total or subscales overlap with measures of awe, inspiration, regret, dissatisfaction, transcendence, depression, fatigue, and spirituality. Links with measures of stress, alexithymia, and gender identity suggest lines of further work.
Conclusions
This analytic approach might suggest unique applications for psychedelic-assisted treatments and provide perspectives on phenomena outside the field. As psychedelic researchers enter their scales to the corpus for Semantic Scale Network analyses, the field will benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitch Earleywine
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, USA
| | - Fiona Low
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, USA
| | - Joseph De Leo
- Centre for Compassionate Care, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Watts R, Kettner H, Geerts D, Gandy S, Kartner L, Mertens L, Timmermann C, Nour MM, Kaelen M, Nutt D, Carhart-Harris R, Roseman L. The Watts Connectedness Scale: a new scale for measuring a sense of connectedness to self, others, and world. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3461-3483. [PMID: 35939083 PMCID: PMC9358368 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06187-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE A general feeling of disconnection has been associated with mental and emotional suffering. Improvements to a sense of connectedness to self, others and the wider world have been reported by participants in clinical trials of psychedelic therapy. Such accounts have led us to a definition of the psychological construct of 'connectedness' as 'a state of feeling connected to self, others and the wider world'. Existing tools for measuring connectedness have focused on particular aspects of connectedness, such as 'social connectedness' or 'nature connectedness', which we hypothesise to be different expressions of a common factor of connectedness. Here, we sought to develop a new scale to measure connectedness as a construct with these multiple domains. We hypothesised that (1) our scale would measure three separable subscale factors pertaining to a felt connection to 'self', 'others' and 'world' and (2) improvements in total and subscale WCS scores would correlate with improved mental health outcomes post psychedelic use. OBJECTIVES To validate and test the 'Watts Connectedness Scale' (WCS). METHODS Psychometric validation of the WCS was carried out using data from three independent studies. Firstly, we pooled data from two prospective observational online survey studies. The WCS was completed before and after a planned psychedelic experience. The total sample of completers from the online surveys was N = 1226. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed, and construct and criterion validity were tested. A third dataset was derived from a double-blind randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing psilocybin-assisted therapy (n = 27) with 6 weeks of daily escitalopram (n = 25) for major depressive disorder (MDD), where the WCS was completed at baseline and at a 6-week primary endpoint. RESULTS As hypothesised, factor analysis of all WCS items revealed three main factors with good internal consistency. WCS showed good construct validity. Significant post-psychedelic increases were observed for total connectedness scores (η2 = 0.339, p < 0.0001), as well as on each of its subscales (p < 0.0001). Acute measures of 'mystical experience', 'emotional breakthrough', and 'communitas' correlated positively with post-psychedelic changes in connectedness (r = 0.42, r = 0.38, r = 0.42, respectively, p < 0.0001). In the RCT, psilocybin therapy was associated with greater increases in WCS scores compared with the escitalopram arm (ηp2 = 0.133, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS The WCS is a new 3-dimensional index of felt connectedness that may sensitively measure therapeutically relevant psychological changes post-psychedelic use. We believe that the operational definition of connectedness captured by the WCS may have broad relevance in mental health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalind Watts
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK. .,Acer Integration, London, UK. .,Synthesis Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Hannes Kettner
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dana Geerts
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK ,grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Sam Gandy
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Laura Kartner
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Lea Mertens
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher Timmermann
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew M. Nour
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mendel Kaelen
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David Nutt
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Robin Carhart-Harris
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Psychedelics Division, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, Neuroscape, USA
| | - Leor Roseman
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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van Elk M, Fejer G, Lempe P, Prochazckova L, Kuchar M, Hajkova K, Marschall J. Effects of psilocybin microdosing on awe and aesthetic experiences: a preregistered field and lab-based study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:1705-1720. [PMID: 33928421 PMCID: PMC9166866 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05857-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is an increased societal trend to engage in microdosing, in which small sub-hallucinogenic amounts of psychedelics are consumed on a regular basis. Following subjective reports that microdosing enhances the experience of nature and art, in the present study we set out to study the effects of psilocybin microdosing on feelings of awe and art perception. In this preregistered combined field- and lab-based study, participants took part in a microdosing workshop after which they volunteered to self-administer a psilocybin microdose or a placebo for three consecutive weeks, while the condition was kept blind to the participants and researchers. Following a 2-week break, the condition assignment was reversed. During each block, participants visited the lab twice to measure the effects of psilocybin microdosing vs. placebo. We used standardized measures of awe, in which participants reported their experiences in response to short videos or when viewing abstract artworks from different painters. Our confirmatory analyses showed that participants felt more awe in response to videos representing funny animals and moving objects in the microdosing compared to the placebo condition. However, about two-third of our participants were breaking blind to their experimental condition. Our exploratory findings suggest that expectancy-effects may be a driving factor underlying the subjective benefits of microdosing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel van Elk
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - George Fejer
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129B, 1018WT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal Lempe
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129B, 1018WT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Luisa Prochazckova
- grid.5132.50000 0001 2312 1970Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Kuchar
- grid.448072.d0000 0004 0635 6059Forensic Laboratory of Biologically Active Substances, Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Prague, Czech Republic ,grid.447902.cDepartment of Experimental Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Hajkova
- grid.448072.d0000 0004 0635 6059Forensic Laboratory of Biologically Active Substances, Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Prague, Czech Republic ,grid.447902.cDepartment of Experimental Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Josephine Marschall
- grid.5132.50000 0001 2312 1970Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
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Yang Y, Hu J, Jing F. Does awe facilitate conformity in tourism consumption? Evidence from China. SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2021.2016714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yang
- School of Sports Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Hu
- School of Economics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan City, People’s Republic of China
| | - FengJie Jing
- School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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Büssing A. Wondering Awe as a Perceptive Aspect of Spirituality and Its Relation to Indicators of Wellbeing: Frequency of Perception and Underlying Triggers. Front Psychol 2021; 12:738770. [PMID: 34659054 PMCID: PMC8515136 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.738770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Spirituality is a multidimensional construct which includes religious, existentialistic, and relational issues and has different layers such as faith as the core, related attitudes and conviction, and subsequent behaviors and practices. The perceptive aspects of spirituality such as wondering awe are of relevance for both, religious and non-religious persons. These perceptions were related to perceiving the Sacred in life, mindful awareness of nature, others and self, to compassion, meaning in life, and emotional wellbeing. As awe perceptions are foremost a matter of state, it was the aim (1) to empirically analyze the frequency of wondering awe perceptions (i.e., with respect to gender, age cohorts, religious or non-religious persons) and (2) to qualitatively analyze a range of triggers of awe perceptions. Methods: Data from 7,928 participants were analyzed with respect to the frequency of Awe/Gratitude perceptions (GrAw-7 scale), while for the second part of the study responses of a heterogeneous group of 82 persons what caused them to perceive moments of wondering awe were analyzed with qualitative content analysis techniques. Results: Persons who experience Awe/Gratitude to a low extend were the youngest and had lowest wellbeing and lowest meditation/praying engagement, while those with high GrAw-7 scores were the oldest, had the highest wellbeing, and were more often meditating or praying (p<0.001). Gender had a significant effect on these perceptions, too (Cohen’s d=0.32). In the qualitative part, the triggers can be attributed to four main categories, Nature, Persons, Unique Moments, and Aesthetics, Beauty, and Devotion. Some of these triggers and related perceptions might be more a matter of admiration than wondering awe, while other perceptions could have more profound effects and may thus result in changes of a person’s attitudes and behaviors. Conclusion: Emotionally touching experiences of wondering awe may result in feelings of interconnectedness, prosocial behavior, mindful awareness, and contribute to a person’s meaning in life and wellbeing and can also be a health-relevant resource. These perceptions can be seen as a perceptive aspect of spirituality, which is not exclusively experienced by religious people but also by non-religious persons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arndt Büssing
- Professorship Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Herdecke, Germany.,IUNCTUS - Competence Center for Christian Spirituality, Philosophical-Theological Academy, Münster, Germany
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Newson M, Khurana R, Cazorla F, van Mulukom V. 'I Get High With a Little Help From My Friends' - How Raves Can Invoke Identity Fusion and Lasting Co-operation via Transformative Experiences. Front Psychol 2021; 12:719596. [PMID: 34646208 PMCID: PMC8504457 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.719596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychoactive drugs have been central to many human group rituals throughout modern human evolution. Despite such experiences often being inherently social, bonding and associated prosocial behaviors have rarely been empirically tested as an outcome. Here we investigate a novel measure of the mechanisms that generate altered states of consciousness during group rituals, the 4Ds: dance, drums, sleep deprivation, and drugs. We conducted a retrospective online survey examining experiences at a highly ritualized cultural phenomenon where drug use is relatively uninhibited- raves and illegal free parties. Engaging in the 4Ds at raves or free parties was associated with personal transformation for those who experienced the event as awe-inspiring, especially for people with open personalities (n = 481). Without awe, or a ritual context, indulging in the 4Ds was associated with a lack of personal growth, or anomie. A complex SEM revealed that personal transformation following awe-inspiring raves was associated with bonding to other ravers and prosocial behavior toward this group at a cost to self in a simple economic game. Bonding to humanity was not associated with these events. The findings suggest that employing the 4Ds in a ritualized environment - particularly dancing and drug use - can help build meaningful social bonds with associated positive behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Newson
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ragini Khurana
- Department of Sociology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Freya Cazorla
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Valerie van Mulukom
- Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
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Li O, Qian D. An analysis of the relationship between risk perceptions and willingness-to-pay for commodities during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE JOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS 2021; 56:257-275. [PMID: 34908578 PMCID: PMC8661842 DOI: 10.1111/joca.12407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on the global retail market. Nonetheless, consumers will eventually return to the market once the pandemic is effectively controlled. Therefore, it is critical to consider which features closely linked to COVID-19 may affect consumer behavior. The present study thus addresses this gap by investigating the relationship of risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 with an important component of consumer behavior-namely, willingness-to-pay (WTP)-and further explores the underlying mechanisms behind this relationship. Data collected from 480 Chinese participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results showed that those with a greater risk perception regarding COVID-19 were more likely to exhibit a higher WTP for various commodities, which can be driven by awe and perceived loss of control induced by COVID-19. The present study delineates the effect that public health emergencies have on the consumption intentions of the general public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ou Li
- Alibaba Business SchoolHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouChina
- Neuromanagement LaboratoryZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Da Qian
- Department of Business Administration, College of Economics and ManagementZhejiang Normal UniversityJinhuaChina
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Coomber T, Harré N. Psychological Oneness: A Typology. REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/10892680211034457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Oneness is a sense of profound unity with some other entity, typically a large, abstract entity such as nature or all of existence. This article offers a typology of oneness based on a review of oneness concepts in the psychology literature. The typology distinguishes between oneness experiences and oneness intuitions or beliefs, the latter being propositions about how self and other are connected. It also distinguishes between three perceived ontologies: expansion (including other in self), interdependence (self and other in symbiosis), and essential (self and other sharing some fundamental property). Confirmatory factor analysis ( n = 102) supported the typology’s dimensions within the scope of nature, using novel sets of items based on restructuring extant oneness measures. Implications of the typology for understanding oneness with nature and its role in addressing environmental crises are discussed, including how these may interact with cultural context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ties Coomber
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Niki Harré
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Yaden DB, Berghella AP, Regier PS, Garcia-Romeu A, Johnson MW, Hendricks PS. Classic psychedelics in the treatment of substance use disorder: Potential synergies with twelve-step programs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 98:103380. [PMID: 34329952 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Several pilot studies have provided evidence supporting the potential of classic psychedelics like psilocybin in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). If larger trials confirm efficacy, classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may eventually be integrated into existing addiction treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, and medication-assisted therapies. Many individuals seeking treatment for SUDs also join twelve-step facilitation (TSF) programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which are among the most widely available and accessed treatments for alcohol use disorder worldwide. For such individuals, engaging in classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy could be seen as controversial, as members of AA/TSF programs have historically rejected medication-assisted treatments in favor of a pharmacotherapy-free approach. We argue that classic psychedelics and the subjective experiences they elicit may represent a special, more compatible case than conventional medications. In support of this claim, we describe Bill Wilson's (the founder of AA) little known experiences with psychedelics and on this basis, we argue that aspects of classic psychedelic treatments could complement AA/TSF programs. We provide a review of clinical trials evaluating psychedelics in the context of SUDs and discuss their potential large-scale impact should they be ultimately integrated into AA/TSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Yaden
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
| | - Andrea P Berghella
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Thomas Jefferson University MD/PhD Program, Sidney Kimmel Medical College and Jefferson College of Life Sciences
| | - Paul S Regier
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
| | - Albert Garcia-Romeu
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Matthew W Johnson
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Peter S Hendricks
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Ryals School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior
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