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How Awe Influences Sustainable Behavior and Well-Being

HEC Paris professor Craig Anderson explores how the emotion of awe—between wonder and humility—can inspire more sustainable behaviors, deepen empathy, and even improve mental health.

44 minutes
Key findings

• Awe is a self-transcendent emotion that shifts focus from the self toward others and the planet, fostering pro-social and environmental actions.
• When consumers grasp the vastness of impact, awe boosts motivation for sustainability.
• Anderson’s cross-cultural research reveals that Americans experience awe as joy, while Chinese respondents feel both admiration and fear, a mixed emotion shaped by culture.
• His findings, featured in National Geographic’s Operation Arctic Cure, show how awe can alleviate PTSD and stress, bridging science, marketing, and human healing.

Listen on

craig anderson HEC portrait
Meet the Author
Prof. Craig Anderson
Assistant Professor - Marketing
Craig L. Anderson is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at HEC Paris. His expertise is in affective science, that is, how people’s emotions and their attempts to regulate their emotions impact their behavior, choices, and relationships.
 
He uses diverse methodologies in his research, including...

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