The DOI matches its Crossref record; 87 of the 87 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Self-Transcendent Emotions and Their Social Functions: Compassion, Gratitude, and Awe Bind Us to Others Through Prosociality
Abstract
In this article we review the emerging literature on the self-transcendent emotions. We discuss how the self-transcendent emotions differ from other positive emotions and outline the defining features of this category. We then provide an analysis of three specific self-transcendent emotions—compassion, gratitude, and awe—detailing what has been learned about their expressive behavior, physiology, and likely evolutionary origins. We propose that these emotions emerged to help humans solve unique problems related to caretaking, cooperation, and group coordination in social interactions. In our final section we offer predictions about the self-transcendent emotions that can guide future research.
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“Awe- and compassion-inducing experiences are related to diminished self-salience and social isolation (34, 68, 69), whereas values- and meaning-oriented interventions support existential reorientation and purpose reconstruction (36, 65, 71).”
From The therapeutic role of self-transcendence in moral injury recovery: theory, mechanisms, and clinical implications (2026) · cites this paper as [69]
In the citing paper
“These emotions decrease the salience of the individual self and promote union with other people and social groups (Haidt, 2003b; Van Cappellen and Rimé, 2014; Stellar et al., 2017).”
From Emotional processes, collective behavior, and social movements: A meta-analytic review of collective effervescence outcomes during collective gatherings and demonstrations (2022) · cites this paper as Stellar et al., 2017
In the citing paper
“Research on transcendent positive emotions, particularly awe, demonstrates that such emotions expand individuals’ sense of social connectedness and increase identification with broader collective categories, thereby promoting generosity, helping, and cooperative behavior (Bai et al., 2017; Piff et al., 2015; Stellar et al., 2017).”
From Peer Attachment and Prosocial Behavior: The Mediating Role of Positive Legal Emotion and the Moderating Effect of Social Exclusion (2026) · cites this paper as Stellar et al., 2017
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Metadata
- Authors
- Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A. M., Piff, P. K., Cordaro, D., Anderson, C. L., Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., & Keltner, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Yale University (US)
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Corresponding author
- Stellar, Jennifer E.
- Venue
- Emotion Review
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2017-06-15
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 200-207
- ISSN
- 1754-0739 (ISSN-L)
- 1754-0747
- OpenAlex
- W2626605398
- Semantic Scholar
- 79bc14aa0a63a9a1ff2abc98ff9e96dbd432664f
- Cited by
- 696
- References
- 87
- Citations by year
- 2026: 79 · 2025: 121 · 2024: 100 · 2023: 82 · 2022: 85 · 2021: 75 · 2020: 84 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 5
- FWCI
- 60.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Emotion Review (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- John Templeton Foundation (88210, 95524)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Aesthetic Perception and Analysis
- Keywords
- self-transcendent emotions, compassion, gratitude, awe, prosocial behavior, social functions of emotion, positive emotions, expressive behavior, physiological responses, evolutionary origins of emotion, cooperation, group coordination, caregiving
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