Self-transcendent experience and prosociality: Connecting dispositional awe, compassion, and the moral foundations

Abstract

Self-transcendent experiences are characterized by a reduced sense of self and an enhanced sense of connection which has led theorists to suggest them as a source of moral wisdom. This speculation has yet to be supported by empirical work that connects self-transcendent experience to moral psychology. Therefore, this cross-sectional study explored how a tendency toward awe, a self-transcendent experience, is associated with prosociality. Participants (N = 331; 73 % women) completed an online survey that assessed dispositional awe, moral foundations, and a compassionate view of others. As hypothesized, dispositional awe was positively associated with the moral foundations of harm prevention and fairness. An exploratory path analysis using structural equation modeling showed dispositional awe to positively predict these same foundations while controlling for political leaning and gender. The paths from dispositional awe to harm prevention and fairness were mediated by a compassionate view of others. These findings are the first to connect self-transcendent experience with moral foundations and are aligned with previous research. Implications of our results for future research and potential interventions that target prosocial behavior are discussed.