Smith and colleagues examine awe as an emotional mechanism capable of shifting environmental perception and behaviour beyond purely rational models of climate communication. Their systematic review finds recurring associations between awe, diminished self-focus, nature connection, prosociality and pro-environmental intention, while remaining cautious about methodological variation and causal overstatement. The theoretical contribution lies in treating emotion not as noise surrounding decision-making but as a possible infrastructure of ecological orientation. Awe can alter scale perception, making individual concerns appear within larger temporal and ecological relations. The review’s methodological operation is synthetic: it maps heterogeneous empirical approaches to identify both convergences and gaps requiring further research. The work bridges environmental psychology, behavioural science, conservation and public engagement by showing that ecological action depends not only on information and incentives but also on experiences capable of reorganizing attachment and attention.
URBANISM MEETS ART