The Relationship Between Awe And The Experience Of Meaning:the Mediating Role Of The Search For Meaning

The ethical thoughts on "reverence for life" originated from Albert schweitzer.These thoughts are of great practical significance in adjusting the relationship between man and nature and life.Based on the consideration of awe and the meaning of life,this study aims to examine the relationship among awe,search for meaning and presence of meaning through four sub-studies.The results show that awe promotes an individual’s presence of meaning through the search for meaning.The first study used questionnaire survey to examine the correlation and mediating effect among awe,search for meaning,presence of meaning,small-self,positive emotion and negative emotion.The questionnaire star was used to collect 270 effective subjects’ data,and the measuring tools werethe Meaning in Life Questionnaire,the Dispositional Positive Emotion-Awe Scale,the Perceived Self-size Scale and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale.The results showed that awe was positively correlated with search for meaning(r=0.62,p<0.01),presence of meaning(r=0.47,p<0.01),positive emotion(r=0.36,p<0.01),and negative emotion(r=-0.17,p<0.01).The two dimensions of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire compiled by Steger showed a significant positive correlation(r=0.47,p<0.01).Search for meaning is a partial intermediary between awe and presence of meaning.Thesecond study isafield experiment,which induces awe through field manipulation,examines search for meaning,presence of meaning,small-self changes of the subjects,and explores the causal relationship among the four.The subjects in the field were induced by the party spirit experience,and the control group were randomly selected from the campus life scene.The two groups were required to complete the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale,the Awe Scale,the Meaning in Life Questionnaire and the Perceived Self-size Scale in order.The results showed that there were significant inter-group differences in positive emotion level(t=2.71,p=0.00)and presence of meaning(t=2.30,p =0.02).Awe(t=0.55,p<0.01)and small-self(t=-0.29,p<0.01)can explain 40% of presence of meaning,while awe(t=0.67,p<0.01)can also explain 44% of search for meaning.The third study is a laboratory experiment,which can induce awe through experiments,investigate search for meaning,presence of meaning,small-selfchanges of the subjects,and explore the causal relationship of the four.The subjects induced the corresponding emotions through video(grand landscape vs.daily life),formed the awe group and the control group,and completed the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale,the Awe Scale,the Meaning in Life Questionnaire and the Perceived Self-size Scale in order.The results showed that there was a significant inter-group difference in presence of meaning(t=3.06,p<0.01),and the score of presence of meaning(M=5.17)in the awe group was higher than that in the control group(M=4.27).At the same time,small-self in the awe group(t=-0.46,p<0.01)significantly negatively predicted meaningful life experience.The fourth study is a questionnaire survey to examine the correlation and mediating effect between awe and presence of meaning,the pursuit of understanding,the pursuit of goals,the pursuit of world-internal value,and the pursuit of self-external value.The questionnaire star was used to collect 249 valid subjects’ data,and the measuring tools were the Meaning in Life Questionnaire,the Awe Scale,the Quadrupartite Existential Meaning Scaleand the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale.The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between awe and presence of meaning,(r=0.34,p<0.01),pursuit of understanding(r=0.48,p<0.01),pursuit of goals(r=0.33,p<0.01),pursuit of world-internal value(r=0.36,p<0.01),and pursuit of self-external value(r=0.34,p<0.01).The four dimensions of search for meaning play a chain of multiple mediating roles between awe and presence of meaning.The mediating effect size is 0.14,and the mediating effect accounts for 41.18% of the total effect.Conclusion:(1)There is a causal relationship between awe and presence of meaning,that is,people with a strong sense of awe will perceive a higher level of presence of meaning.(2)There is a causal relationship between awe and search for meaning,that is,people with a strong sense of awe will have a stronger motivation to search for meaning of life.(3)Awe,through the pursuit of understanding,the pursuit of goals,the pursuit of world-internal value,and the pursuit of self-external value factors in search for meaning,enhance one’s presence of meaning.