How Does Awe Fuel Information Seeking? A Mixed‐methods, Virtual Reality Study

Abstract

ABSTRACTAwe experiences may increase awareness of knowledge gaps and promote inquiry. However, the relationship between awe and exploratory behavior, such as information seeking, remains unclear. To explore awe as an antecedent for information seeking, participants (n = 17) were exposed to a variety of virtual reality (VR) awe elicitors, and their quantitative and qualitative responses were gathered. One day later, participants responded to follow‐up questionnaires. Then, within one week, a stratified sample (n = 4) completed interviews. To determine which awe elicitors were the most curiosity‐provoking, the study utilized descriptive statistics as well as mixed‐effects logistic regressions. The study also included interpretative phenomenological analysis of the qualitative laboratory responses and interview transcripts. The findings suggest that awe‐inspiring VR content may be a valuable technique to promote intrinsic motivations for inquiry, but future design research is necessary to bridge the gap between intent and behavior.