Vikki Schaffer

This research addresses the gap regarding the need for a brief, state measure of awe by developing and validating the Awe Short Measure (Awe-SM). Study 1 (N = 246) utilized exploratory factor analysis, resulting in a nine-item, three-factor solution with high factor loadings and adequate internal consistency. Study 2 (N = 576) validated the Awe-SM through confirmatory factor analysis, reaffirming internal consistency and establishing convergent and divergent validity against existing measures. The Awe-SM's three-factor solution encompasses connectedness, absorption, and perception, reflecting key aspects of awe concordant with existing theoretical and empirical findings. The Awe-SM demonstrated strong correlations with subscales of the existing Awe Experience Scale, supporting its validity in capturing awe experiences. While awe is multifaceted and can contain elements of fear or threat, its predominantly positive nature was mirrored in the Awe-SM's correlations with positive and negative affect measures. The Awe-SM provides a valid, succinct measure of state awe.

What key attributes make a graduate career-ready? This chapter delves into immersive learning as a critical methodology for supporting career readiness. Immersive learning is characterized by direct workplace, laboratory, or field engagement. It is an effective approach to cultivate these attributes. Through practical examples, we illustrate how immersive experiences can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, thereby enhancing the readiness of graduates for professional challenges. Examining recent practices and educational doctrines to envisage the future of STEM education, the focus is on reimagining STEM learning pathways to better align with industry needs and support graduates' adaptation to the rapidly changing professional landscape. Significant shifts in educational strategies are essential to achieve this goal. These shifts should prioritize experiential learning, adaptability, and deeper industry-academia collaboration. Concluding, we posit that to meet the dynamic demands of the modern workforce, a re-evaluation of current educational practices is imperative. We advocate for large-scale changes in preparing graduates, emphasizing the importance of immersive learning experiences and a forward-thinking approach to STEM education. This will ensure that future graduates are well-equipped to navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving industry environment.

Research on the positive psychological effects of psychedelics has surged since the early 2000s, particularly regarding increased well-being. Studies have demonstrated how psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences play a key role in their positive effects, which has prompted an interest in the emotion of awe in the psychedelic context due to its similar phenomenology and associated benefits. This study examined 60 individuals following their visitation to at least one ayahuasca retreat in a country where ayahuasca use was legal or retreats are approved to use ayahuasca, hypothesizing that not only high levels of awe but mystical experiences characterized by high levels of awe would be significantly associated with higher well-being. Neither hypothesis was supported: higher levels of mystical experience with lower perceived vastness, a facet of awe, was significantly associated with higher well-being, possibly highlighting the synergistic relationship between mystical experiences and perceived vastness on well-being. The study has implications for future research, particularly in terms of understanding how the perceived vastness of a person's psychedelic experience may be modulated to mitigate distress and foster well-being.

Natural soundscapes evoke awe and play a pivotal role in shaping visitor experiences, potentially leading to transformational outcomes. This study, grounded in the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory, examined the effects of natural soundscapes and pre-recorded whale vocalizations on inducing awe and influencing Pro-Environmental Intent (PEI) among whale watchers. Additionally, the study explored how increased whale knowledge impacts PEI. Findings reveal that awe significantly predicts heightened PEI, particularly in fostering connectedness with nature. Interestingly, no significant difference in awe levels emerged between participants exposed to natural soundscapes versus pre-recorded whale vocalizations. However, participants' whale knowledge substantially increased post-tour, contributing significantly to PEI. The influence of soundscapes on PEI was partially supported, with significant differences noted on the “recycle and reuse” subscale. Overall, the study highlights experiences of awe, the acquisition of knowledge, and exposure to natural soundscapes can collectively enhance environmental consciousness and strongly impact pro-environmental behaviours. These insights provide valuable guidance for designing tourism experiences that promote sustainable behaviour.

Climate change and environmental degradation are critical health challenges facing society, with eco-distress increasingly and more widely reported. Previous research indicates that nature relatedness (NR) may be implicated in eco-distress. The current cross-sectional, online study expands research on eco-distress. It was hypothesized that different types of NR would lead to different manifestations of eco-distress. Participants (N = 415) completed measures of NR (nature relatedness scale, pro-environmental self-identity scale, and connectedness to nature scale) and measures of eco-distress (climate change anxiety scale, solastalgia subscale of the environmental distress scale, and climate change worry scale). Results indicated that NR-perspective, pro-environmental self-identity, and connectedness to nature may influence the occurrence of eco-distress, whereas NR-self may be protective against eco-distress. Solastalgia accounted for 29% of the variance in eco-distress, suggesting that solastalgia, not climate change anxiety was the dominant emotional response implicated in eco-distress for those with high NR. Further research is required to develop robust measures of eco-distress and determine the reciprocal nature of eco-distress to environmental degradation and the bearing this has on individual, community, and global actions to advance nature and human wellbeing.

Awe is considered a transformational and multifaceted emotion. Vastness is the core cognitive appraisal associated with awe, which activates a need for cognitive accommodation. Increasingly, studies are evaluating awe’s dimensions including triggers, cognitive and emotional characteristics, and primarily beneficial outcomes. Additionally, numerous emotions have been conceptualised within a cognitive behavioural framework and cognitive behavioural models may be utilised to promote positive human qualities and experiences. Therefore, this paper outlines the results of a systematic review of the literature on awe from a cognitive behavioural perspective to propose a cognitive behavioural model. Databases searched included Psych Net, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCO, SAGE, JSTOR, Springer LINK, Taylor and Francis, and Wiley with the inclusion of peer reviewed articles. A total of 57 studies were identified. Triggers of awe were primarily related to nature and cognitive processes centred on vastness and the need for accommodation. A range of outcomes associated with awe were identified including increased well-being, spiritual growth, and pro-environmental intent. The key findings from this review informed a cognitive behavioural model of awe. Such a cognitive behavioural model may inform the cultivation of awe for individual, community, or environmental well-being and experience design. Future research is required to validate the proposed model, proposed pathways, and utility.

Emotion is a key cognitive process that is central to being human. This chapter discusses various psychological approaches to understand emotions and introduces cognitive appraisal theory and its appraisal dimensions. By reviewing recent studies on emotions, this chapter recognises the theory as one of the most promising ones to advance research on emotions. The significance of appraisal theory for tourism is in the ability to explain why the same stimulus can generate different emotions in different people or in the same person at different times. Cognitive appraisal theory is able to assist in the prediction of emotions and subsequent behaviour. This chapter concludes by outlining potential topics where the theory can be particularly useful in tourism.

Awe is a multidimensional emotional experience that has the potential to adjust one's beliefs and schema. Vastness is the core cognitive appraisal required to elicit awe. An appraisal of vastness can challenge an individual's present frame of reference. The cognitive process, need for accommodation, can be activated by the appraisal of vastness. Both an appraisal of vastness and the need for cognitive accommodation are essential to experiencing awe. This chapter presents an overview of the rapidly emerging research on awe through a cognitive appraisal lens. It highlights the importance of immersive experiences and nature contexts within tourism, illustrated by examining immersive, marine tourism activities on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. The case study discusses tourists' experiences of engaging scuba diving, swimming with whales, whale watching, and the elicitation and experience of awe and associated cognition.

Increasing pro environmental behavior may combat environmental deterioration and promote animal and human welfare. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we investigated how an Australian zoo based seal encounter influenced participants' pro environmental intentions and behavior at 1 month follow up. Participants were 113 seal encounter visitors, with n = 29 providing 1 month post encounter data. Pre encounter, participants reported past and intended pro environmental behaviors, and TPB constructs (attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective and moral norms). Post encounter, participants rated their experience and future pro environmental intentions. At 1 month follow up, participants again reported their pro environmental behaviors. The model explained past pro environmental behaviors and future behavioral intentions (but not plastic use specifically), with subjective norms being the most important. Unlike past research, moral norms were not significant, perhaps due to the zoo based research context. Importantly, participants reported a decrease in plastic use 1 month post encounter. These findings provide suggestions for zoos to design encounters targeting subjective norms to promote pro environmental behavior.

Purpose

In contrast to prior studies examining burnout in academic employees, this paper explores how academic employee agency mitigates burnout risks in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and how this agency facilitates research productivity and influences well-being in the face of changes in learning and teaching practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use collaborative auto-ethnography (CAE) in the higher education (HE) sector to probe how an employee productivity group supported the group's members during the pandemic.

Findings

Thematic analysis revealed four emerging themes: burnout, beneficial habits for research productivity, blocking-out-time and belonging. The authors' findings suggest that by acknowledging and legitimising employee-initiated groups, feelings of neglect can be combatted. Purposeful employee groups have the potential to create a therapeutic, safe space and, in addition to the groups' productivity intent, diminish the negative effects of a crisis on organisational effectiveness.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by utilising a CAE approach to provide greater insight into how academics enact agency by creating digital research workspaces, attending to the spatial dimensions of well-being especially during turbulent times.