The Construct of Awe in Community Psychology: Toward a More Comprehensive Assessment for Applications to Vulnerable Populations.
Journal of prevention & intervention in the community December 1, 2025 Tia N Turner, Roger N Reeb, Kathryn E Hurley et al.
Awe-inspiring interventions benefit homeless shelter residents, as shown through quantitative and qualitative data from a long-term participatory community action research project. The article also reports the development and validation of two new psychometric instruments—the Trait Inventory of Awe and the Inventory of Self-Efficacy for Awe—to assess trait awe, which previously lacked adequate measurement tools. The authors argue that awe experiences, characterized by vastness, self-transcendence, and enhanced prosociality, are linked to physical and mental health, but research on vulnerable populations has been scarce. Recommendations for using these instruments to evaluate awe interventions in vulnerable groups are provided.