Influence of awe on social responsibility in adolescents and the mediating role of social mindfulness

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that awe can influence corporate social responsibility; however, the mechanism through which awe affects social responsibility among Chinese adolescents remains unclear. According to the Broaden-and-Build theory of positive emotions, individuals may be prompted to take positive actions, such as enhancing social mindfulness, due to the situational stimuli that evoke their sense of awe. Conversely, these positive actions promote the formation of social responsibility. Thus, the present study aims to explore the impact of awe on adolescents' social responsibility and the mediating role of social mindfulness in this relationship using questionnaire-based and experimental approaches. In Study 1, 1370 adolescents completed the Dispositional Awe Scale, the Social Mindfulness Self-Report Scale and the Social Responsibility Scale. The results revealed that dispositional awe had a significant effect on social responsibility, with social mindfulness mediating 73.28 % of this effect. In Study 2, 140 adolescents participated in an experiment where video-induced emotions were used to elicit awe in the experimental group and neutral emotions in the control group, and the results indicated that awe emotion significantly influenced social responsibility, with social mindfulness mediating 62.76 % of the effect. In Study 3, results showed that a 4-week awe training increased dispositional awe, social mindfulness, and social responsibility. In addition, social mindfulness partially mediated the effect of dispositional awe on social responsibility, accounting for 48.15 % of the total effect. These findings provide novel insights into the role of awe in fostering social responsibility among adolescents, highlighting the mediating role of social mindfulness and the potential of awe-based interventions.