The Influence of Awe on Creativity: The Chain Mediating Effect of Cognitive Flexibility and Creative Self-Efficacy

doi:10.12139/j.1672-0628.2026.03.011

Abstract

Abstract:

To clarify the relationship between awe and individual creativity and the psychological mechanisms that underlie it, Study 1 (1a, 1b) used questionnaire measures and a video-based induction paradigm, respectively, to examine the predictive effects of trait and state awe on creativity. Study 2 (2a, 2b) integrated survey and experimental methods to test the causal influence of awe on creativity and to illuminate its mediating processes. Convergent results indicated that: 1) higher levels of awe were associated with superior creative performance; 2) cognitive flexibility and creative self-efficacy sequentially mediated the facilitatory pathway from awe to creativity. These findings not only elucidate the internal mechanisms by which awe enhances creativity but also provide theoretical rationale and intervention directions for nurturing students’ innovation capabilities in educational practice.

Key words: awe, creativity, cognitive flexibility, creative self-efficacy

摘要：

为厘清敬畏与个体创造力间的关联及其心理机制，研究1(1a、1b)分别运用问卷法与视频启动范式，考察特质敬畏与状态敬畏对创造力的预测效应；研究2(2a、2b)进一步结合问卷与实验设计，检验敬畏对创造力的因果影响并揭示其潜在机制。结果一致表明：(1)敬畏水平越高，创造力表现越好；(2)认知灵活性与创造自我效能感在敬畏与创造力的关系中起链式中介作用。上述发现不仅阐明敬畏提升创造力的内部机制，也为教育实践中培育学生的创新素养提供理论依据与干预思路。

关键词: 敬畏, 创造力, 认知灵活性, 创造自我效能感

CLC Number:

B844

Baorui CHANG, Jianing GUO, Yuechen AO. The Influence of Awe on Creativity: The Chain Mediating Effect of Cognitive Flexibility and Creative Self-Efficacy[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2026, 24(3): 367-374.

常保瑞, 郭佳宁, 敖月晨. 敬畏提升创造力：认知灵活性和创造自我效能感的链式中介效应[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2026, 24(3): 367-374.

Figures/Tables 7

References 0

	董蕊, 彭凯平, 喻丰. 积极情绪之敬畏. 心理科学进展, 2013, 21 (11): 1996- 2005.
	贡喆. (2018). 创造力与道德的关系: 个体和团体的视角(博士学位论文). 南京师范大学.
	何少颖, 方沛, 李洋, 江怀, 任志洪. 大学生创造力量表编制. 中国健康心理学杂志, 2015, 23 (1): 122- 125. DOI
	李宏利, 郁巧玲. 自我独立与员工创造力的关系: 一个有调节的中介模型. 心理研究, 2018, 11 (1): 43- 51. DOI
	刘占波. (2019). 大学生自我效能感对创造力的预测: 班级氛围的调节作用(硕士学位论文). 山东师范大学, 济南.
	齐冰, 赵兵, 王琨, 刘欢欢. 大学生认知灵活性问卷的修订及初步使用. 心理与行为研究, 2013, 11 (1): 120- 123.
	王阳, 杨燕, 肖婉婷, 苏勤. 认知灵活性问卷中文版测评大学生样本的效度和信度. 中国心理卫生杂志, 2016, 30 (1): 58- 63. DOI
	谢莉, 金辉, 王志英, 叶桥键, 杨喜兰. 导师排斥感知对研究生科研创造力的影响: 科研自我效能感和科研焦虑的双向链式中介作用. 心理发展与教育, 2023, 39 (6): 833- 841.
	熊红星, 张璟, 叶宝娟, 郑雪, 孙配贞. 共同方法变异的影响及其统计控制途径的模型分析. 心理科学进展, 2012, 20 (5): 757- 769. DOI
	张潮, 安彦名, 刘金蕙, 吕一超, 喻丰. 敬畏情绪对创造力的影响: 认知灵活性的中介作用. 中国社会心理学评论, 2020, (2): 153- 176.
	张军伟, 唐娇, 谢锟, 张亚军. 包容性导师对研究生科研创造力的影响: 认知灵活性的中介作用与经验开放性的调节作用. 心理研究, 2023, 16 (4): 354- 363. DOI
	张勇, 刘海全, 王明旋, 青平. 挑战性压力和阻断性压力对员工创造力的影响: 自我效能的中介效应与组织公平的调节效应. 心理学报, 2018, 50 (4): 450- 461. DOI
	诸彦含, 陈国良, 徐俊英. 组织中的正念: 基于认知的动态衍生过程及干预. 心理科学进展, 2020, 28 (3): 510- 522. DOI
	Atamba, C., Popelnukha, A., & Ibrahim, F. L. Awe guards my creativity: The interactive effect of perceived abusive supervisory behavior, dispositional awe, and creative self-efficacy on Chinese employee creativity. Frontiers in Sociology, 2020, 5, 51. DOI
	Baas, M., De Dreu, C. K. W., & Nijstad, B. A. A meta-analysis of 25 years of mood-creativity research: Hedonic tone, activation, or regulatory focus. Psychological Bulletin, 2008, 134 (6): 779- 806.
	Bandura, A. Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 1977, 84 (2): 191- 215. DOI
	Bargh, J. A., Chaiken, S., Raymond, P., & Hymes, C. The automatic evaluation effect: Unconditional automatic attitude activation with a pronunciation task. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 1996, 32 (1): 104- 128. DOI
	Batey, M. The measurement of creativity: From definitional consensus to the introduction of a new heuristic framework. Creativity Research Journal, 2012, 24 (1): 55- 65. DOI
	Beresford, K., Kern, M. L., & Jarden, A. The creative-being model: The role of negative emotion in creative flourishing and the impact on positive education. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2025, 20 (1): 59- 71. DOI
	Chirico, A., Glaveanu, V. P., Cipresso, P., Riva, G., & Gaggioli, A. Awe enhances creative thinking: An experimental study. Creativity Research Journal, 2018, 30 (2): 123- 131. DOI
	Demirtaş, A. S. Cognitive flexibility and mental well-being in Turkish adolescents: The mediating role of academic, social and emotional self-efficacy. Anales de Psicología/Annals of Psychology, 2020, 36 (1): 111- 121. DOI
	Diamond, A. Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 2013, 64, 135- 168. DOI
	Gong, Y. P., Huang, J. C., & Farh, J. L. Employee learning orientation, transformational leadership, and employee creativity: The mediating role of employee creative self-efficacy. Academy of Management Journal, 2009, 52 (4): 765- 778. DOI
	Jiang, T. L., Hicks, J. A., Yuan, W. Y., Yin, Y. G., Needy, L., & Vess, M. The unique nature and psychosocial implications of awe. Nature Reviews Psychology, 2024, 3 (7): 475- 488. DOI
	Jiang, T. L., & Sedikides, C. Awe motivates authentic-self pursuit via self-transcendence: Implications for prosociality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2022, 123 (3): 576- 596. DOI
	Karwowski, M., Lebuda, I., & Wiśniewska, E. Measuring creative self-efficacy and creative personal identity. The International Journal of Creativity & Problem Solving, 2018, 28 (1): 45- 57.
	Kaynak, H., Denizci Nazlıgül, M., & Cengil, B. B. Your need for cognition, cognitive flexibility, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies matter! The path beyond a satisfied life. The Journal of Psychology, 2024, 158 (7): 611- 626. DOI
	Keltner, D., & Haidt, J. Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 2003, 17 (2): 297- 314. DOI
	Kiss, A. N., Libaers, D., Barr, P. S., Wang, T., & Zachary, M. A. CEO cognitive flexibility, information search, and organizational ambidexterity. Strategic Management Journal, 2020, 41 (12): 2200- 2233. DOI
	Liberman, N., Polack, O., Hameiri, B., & Blumenfeld, M. Priming of spatial distance enhances children’s creative performance. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2012, 111 (4): 663- 670. DOI
	Lin, W. L., Tsai, P. H., Lin, H. Y., & Chen, H. C. How does emotion influence different creative performances? The mediating role of cognitive flexibility. Cognition & Emotion, 2014, 28 (5): 834- 844. DOI
	Malik, M. A. R., Butt, A. N., & Choi, J. N. Rewards and employee creative performance: Moderating effects of creative self-efficacy, reward importance, and locus of control. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2015, 36 (1): 59- 74. DOI
	Martin, M. M., & Rubin, R. B. A new measure of cognitive flexibility. Psychological Reports, 1995, 76 (2): 623- 626. DOI
	Meinel, M., Wagner, T. F., Baccarella, C. V., & Voigt, K. I. Exploring the effects of creativity training on creative performance and creative self‐efficacy: Evidence from a longitudinal study. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 2019, 53 (4): 546- 558. DOI
	OECD. (2021). OECD future of education and skills 2030. Paris: OECD.
	Petersen, S. E., Fineburg, A. C., Sheldon, K. M., Rettew, J. G., Beaumont, S. L., Lopez, F. G., … Sundararajan, L. (2009). The encyclopedia of positive psychology (pp. 73–75). Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
	Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children (M. Cook, Trans.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
	Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., & Keltner, D. Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2015, 108 (6): 883- 899.
	Rachmad, Y. E. (2022). Adaptive cognitive theory. Ferrara, Italy: Castello Libri Internazionali.
	Reed, P. G. Toward a nursing theory of selftranscendence: Deductive reformulation using developmental theories. Advances in Nursing Science, 1991, 13 (4): 64- 77.
	Rios, K., Markman, K. D., Schroeder, J., & Dyczewski, E. A. A (creative) portrait of the uncertain individual: Self-uncertainty and individualism enhance creative generation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2014, 40 (8): 1050- 1062. DOI
	Rudd, M., Hildebrand, C., & Vohs, K. D. Inspired to create: Awe enhances openness to learning and the desire for experiential creation. Journal of Marketing Research, 2018, 55 (5): 766- 781. DOI
	Runco, M. A., Plucker, J. A., & Lim, W. Development and psychometric integrity of a measure of ideational behavior. Creativity Research Journal, 2001, 13 (3–4): 393- 400. DOI
	Schaffer, V., Huckstepp, T., & Kannis-Dymand, L. Awe: A systematic review within a cognitive behavioural framework and proposed cognitive behavioural model of awe. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 2024, 9 (1): 101- 136. DOI
	Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., & John, O. P. Positive emotion dispositions differentially associated with Big Five personality and attachment style. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2006, 1 (2): 61- 71.
	Spiro, R. J. (1988). Cognitive flexibility theory: Advanced knowledge acquisition in ill-structured domains. In The tenth annual conference of Cognitive Science Society. Montreal, Canada: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.
	Tierney, P., & Farmer, S. M. Creative self-efficacy: Its potential antecedents and relationship to creative performance. Academy of Management Journal, 2002, 45 (6): 1137- 1148. DOI
	Woodman, R. W., Sawyer, J. E., & Griffin, R. W. Toward a theory of organizational creativity. The Academy of Management Review, 1993, 18 (2): 293- 321.
	Yang, Y., Hu, J., Jing, F. J., & Nguyen, B. From awe to ecological behavior: The mediating role of connectedness to nature. Sustainability, 2018, 10 (7): 2477. DOI
	Yu, P. L., He, A. H., Wang, Q. Y., Li, Y. T., Hu, S., & Gao, Y. W. Psychological richness can enhance innovative behavior of Chinese college students: The chain mediating role of cognitive flexibility and creative self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 2025, 16, 1630873. DOI
	Zajonc, R. B. Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences. American Psychologist, 1980, 35 (2): 151- 175. DOI

变量	M±SD	1	2	3	4	5	6
1.性别
2.年龄	19.22±1.69	0.36^**
3.是否独生		0.04	−0.04
4.敬畏	4.78±0.96	0.03	0.10^*	−0.04
5.认知灵活性	3.38±0.47	−0.06	0.11^*	−0.06	0.49^***
6.创造自我效能感	3.33±0.75	−0.13^**	0.06	−0.08	0.53^***	0.62^***
7.创造力	2.94±0.59	0.03	0.13^**	−0.06	0.42^***	0.47^***	0.61^***

变量	M±SD	1	2	3	4	5	6
1.性别
2.年龄	19.22±1.69	0.36^**
3.是否独生		0.04	−0.04
4.敬畏	4.78±0.96	0.03	0.10^*	−0.04
5.认知灵活性	3.38±0.47	−0.06	0.11^*	−0.06	0.49^***
6.创造自我效能感	3.33±0.75	−0.13^**	0.06	−0.08	0.53^***	0.62^***
7.创造力	2.94±0.59	0.03	0.13^**	−0.06	0.42^***	0.47^***	0.61^***

	效应值	Boot SE	Boot LLCI	Boot ULCI
直接效应	0.08	0.03	0.02	0.14
总间接效应	0.33	0.02	0.21	0.43
敬畏→认知灵活性→创造力	0.06	0.02	0.02	0.10
敬畏→创造自我效能感→创造力	0.15	0.01	0.09	0.20
敬畏→认知灵活性→ 创造自我效能感→创造力	0.12	0.01	0.07	0.16

	效应值	Boot SE	Boot LLCI	Boot ULCI
直接效应	0.08	0.03	0.02	0.14
总间接效应	0.33	0.02	0.21	0.43
敬畏→认知灵活性→创造力	0.06	0.02	0.02	0.10
敬畏→创造自我效能感→创造力	0.15	0.01	0.09	0.20
敬畏→认知灵活性→ 创造自我效能感→创造力	0.12	0.01	0.07	0.16

变量	M±SD	1	2	3	4	5
1.性别
2.年龄	18.97±1.41	0.00
3.敬畏	0.50±0.50	0.02	0.20^*
4.认知灵活性	3.65±0.42	0.04	0.15	0.31^***
5.创造自我效能感	3.28±0.63	−0.07	0.01	0.35^***	0.61^***
6.创造力	3.43±0.56	0.04	0.04	0.47^***	0.64^***	0.67^***