Measures the discrete emotion of awe — a feeling of being in the presence of something vast that challenges or expands one's existing understanding of the world. Awe is elicited by grand natural scenery, architectural magnificence, technological marvel, artistic mastery, and exceptional brand experiences. In consumer research, awe is increasingly studied as a driver of pro-social behaviour (increased willingness to donate, volunteer, connect with others), reduced materialism, enhanced product appreciation, and stronger memory encoding of brand experiences. Luxury experiences, flagship stores, immersive brand activations, and exceptional service recovery can all elicit awe. Awe is distinct from wonder (curiosity-driven) and elevation (moral uplift) and has unique downstream effects on self-diminishment and connection to something greater than oneself.
Likert (1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
Unidimensional total score — higher = greater awe. Awe reduces materialistic values and consumer self-focus, and increases pro-social behaviour and connectedness — important implications for cause marketing, sustainable consumption, and experiential retail. Awe also enhances autobiographical memory encoding, predicting stronger recall of brand experiences. Particularly relevant for luxury brand flagship stores, immersive experiential activations, and exceptional hospitality contexts.
Shiota, M.N., Keltner, D., & Mossman, A. (2007). The nature of awe: Elicitors, appraisals, and effects on self-concept. Cognition and Emotion, 21(5), 944–963.
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