| Prior research has demonstrated a robust association between positive affect and the personality factor extraversion, and parallel findings consistently link negative affect and Neuroticism, but few studies have explored the personality correlates of various lower order discrete emotions. In separate samples of college and community adults, we conducted experimental induction ( N = 248) and experience sampling (N = 58) studies to explore the personality correlates of awe. We hypothesized that among five-factor personality domains, openness to experience would be associated with awe most consistently and that the aesthetic component of openness would account for significant variance in these associations. Results showed that higher openness was significantly related to higher experimentally induced awe ratings as well as dispositional awe proneness, and marginally associated with awe frequency in daily life. The aesthetic component of openness was consistently associated with several awe outcomes. Interestingly, agreeableness emerged as a significant, positive predictor of awe across multiple analyses. We discuss implications of these findings, explore possible explanations for the agreeableness associations, and propose future directions for awe and openness research. |
