Nakayama, M., Nozaki, Y., Taylor, P. M., Keltner, D., & Uchida, Y. (2020)

Nakayama, M.(中山真孝), Nozaki, Y.(野崎優樹), Taylor, P. M., Keltner, D., & Uchida, Y.(内田由紀子) (2020). 
Individual and cultural differences in predispositions to feel positive and negative aspects of awe.
特性的ポジティブAweと特性的ネガティブAweの個人差と文化差
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022120959821

Psychological research on awe has largely focused on its positive dimensions, both in terms of the experiential state of awe and individual trait-based predispositions to awe experience. Little is known, however, about awe’s negative-valence dimensions, such as individual tendencies to experience awe as threatening. To gain a broader understanding of awe, the current study investigates individual predispositions to feel negative aspects of awe (i.e., threat) and positive aspects of awe (e.g., beauty) and examines how these two tendencies are interrelated. Additionally, this study uses both Japanese and US samples to explore whether predispositions to feel awe vary across cultures. Two studies (total N = 1245) suggests that in both Japanese and US samples, predispositions to feel positive and negative aspects of awe were separable. However, there were cultural differences: North Americans were more predisposed to feel positive aspects than Japanese, and the predispositions to feel positive and negative aspects were positively correlated for Japanese, but not North Americans. This contributes to a better understanding of how the valence of awe may be influenced by culturally-mediated patterns of affect.

満天の星空を見上げて自然の美しさ雄大さを感じたり、地震や台風などの自然の脅威を目の当たりにして畏れおののき、人生観や世界観が変わる。このような体験で経験される感情はAwe(日本語で畏怖・畏敬など)として研究がされています。しかし、それら研究は欧米での研究が中心であり、Awe感情が文化からどのように影響を受けるかはほとんど分かっていませんでした。

そこで、本論文では、Awe感情の意味合いがポジティブかネガティブかという観点からAwe感情の文化差の検討をAwe感情の感じやすさの個人差という観点から行いました。その結果、北米では日本と比べてポジティブなAweを感じやすい一方で、日本ではAweはポジティブなものであると同時にネガティブなものでもあるという混合感情として感じられていることが示されました。