Does dispositional awe foster young adults’ international altruism? The roles of self-transcendence and identity with all humanity
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications March 12, 2026 Mengyun Wang, Quan Xu
A disposition toward awe is positively linked to international altruism—helping people in other countries—in both Chinese and American participants. In a study of 497 Chinese and 283 US adults, the relationship was mediated by different psychological pathways depending on culture. Among Chinese participants, awe boosted international altruism through both self-transcendence and identity with all humanity, operating in parallel and in sequence. Among US participants, identity with all humanity alone, and the sequence of self-transcendence then identity with all humanity, explained the link. The findings suggest that cultivating awe may foster cross-cultural goodwill, but the mechanisms differ across societies.