Sawada and Nomura evaluated links between feeling awed and being curious. They “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. . . . we [also] 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.”
K. Sawada and M. Nomura. “Awe Increases Stimulus-Specific Curiosity.” Journal of Cognitive Psychology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2024.2356289