The effect of awe on natural risk-taking preferences: The role of need for closure

Abstract

Awe alters people’s worldviews and encourages individuals to explore novel experiences. Guided by awe as an emotion, across three studies (N = 896), we tested the effect of awe on natural risk-taking preferences (NRTPs) and the mediating role of the need for closure (NFC). In Study 1, trait awe predicted NRTPs beyond other positive emotions (e.g., amusement). In follow-up studies elicited by videos, positive awe (relative to diverse control states) decreased NFC and natural risk perceptions (NRPs) and increased NRTPs (Studies 2 and 3). Conversely, negative awe reduced preferences for natural risk-taking but did not significantly increase the NFC or NRPs (Study 3). Moreover, NFC mediated the effect of positive awe on NRTPs in Study 2; however, in Study 3, the mediation of ∆NFC (variation of NFC) was not supported for positive or negative awe. The findings supported the key role of positive awe in promoting NRTPs and in reducing NFC, distinguished it from general positive emotion (e.g., amusement and joy) and its negatively valenced variant: negative awe.