UC Irvine

Much of people’s lives is spent in the presence of others, sharing and co-experiencing life’s moments. These shared experiences are a core component of social life, and they can vary not only in the activities they entail but also in the emotions they inspire. What are the types of shared experiences worth seeking out and having? As sources of social connection and meaning, shared awe-inspiring experiences may be especially beneficial relative to shared experiences tinged by other positive emotions. Guided by work on the different qualities of discrete positive emotions, I investigated whether co-experienced moments of awe increased social connection and meaning via a variety of methodologies across several studies.Five studies yielded mixed support for this hypothesis. In Study 1, expressions of awe in reviews of Airbnb Experiences—guided, group-based activities (e.g., surfing lessons, restaurant tours, nature excursions)—were positively associated with expressions of connection and meaning, controlling for general positivity. In Study 2, recalled shared experiences of awe were associated with greater perceived social connection to one’s experience partner and, in turn, meaningfulness, relative to recalled shared ordinary and amusing experiences. In Studies 3a and 3b, participants who anticipated watching an awe-inspiring video with an acquaintance reported greater anticipated meaningfulness, but not social connection, compared to those who imagined watching an amusing or neutral video. Finally, in Study 4 participants who were instructed to seek out an awe-inspiring experience with someone else reported that the experience was more meaningful, but not connecting, than participants who shared an experience of their choosing as a control condition. Together, this research contributes to and expands the literature on both shared experiences and awe, suggesting that shared awe-inspiring moments might be especially potent sources of meaning relative to other shared experiences.