Abstract

This study examined the conceptual appropriateness of gyeong-i as a Korean translation of awe and analyzed its elicitor and psychological features in comparison with a related emotion, gamdong. In Study 1, elicitors of gyeong-i were categorized and compared with elicitors of awe identified in Western research, and distinctive psychological features of gyeong-i relative to gamdong were identified. In Study 2, gyeong-i and gamdong were experimentally induced using video stimuli, and differences in the perception of a small self, a core psychological feature of awe, were tested. Results indicated that gyeong-i among Koreans is primarily elicited by vast natural environments and is accompanied by a sense of small self. These findings suggest that gyeong-i is similar to awe reported in Western literature in terms of both eliciting conditions and psychological experience. In constrast, although gamdong shares some features with gyeon-i, it is primarily experienced in interpersonal contexts. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.