Awe increases stimulus-specific curiosity

Awe, an emotional response to vast stimuli that transcend our schema, is thought to promote epistemic curiosity; however, it remains unclear whether the promotional effect of awe on curiosity is specific to a stimulus-related domain or general domain. In Experiment1 (N = 120), we examined the influence of three emotion conditions (nature-awe, amusement, and neutral emotional state) on curiosity, regarding seven topics (nature, art, food, history, living things, science, and sports). The results showed that the induction of nature-awe specifically increased curiosity about nature. In Experiment 2 (N = 130), we examined the influence of two awe conditions (nature-awe and art-awe) on curiosity on five topics (nature, art, history, living things, and science). The results not only replicated the results of Experiment 1 but also showed that the induction of art-awe specifically increased curiosity about art and history. These results suggest that awe can increase stimulus-specific curiosity.