Awe is generally defined as the sense that you are in the presence of something larger and more consequential than yourself. According to a study called “awe walks”, people who took a fresh look at the world around them during brief, weekly walks felt more upbeat and hopeful in general than walkers who did not. Feeling a sense of awe also seems to up our overall feelings of gladness and improve health.
Previous studies have linked increased physical activity to greater happiness and reduced risks for anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses. But no studies had looked into whether mixing awe and activity might increase the benefits of each — or, on the other hand, reduce them. So, for the new study, scientists concentrated on people in their 60s, 70s and 80s, ages when some people can face risks for declining mental health.
The scientists asked 52 study volunteers to add a weekly 15-minute walk to their normal schedules. All of them were physically healthy and psychologically well-adjusted, with little disquietude or depression. Then they were randomly divided into two groups. One, as a control group, was asked to start walking, preferably outside, but given few other requirements. The members of the other group were not only asked to walk once a week, but also were instructed in how to cultivate awe as they walked. “Basically, we told them to try to go and walk somewhere new, since novelty helps to cultivate awe,” says Virginia Sturm, an associate professor who led the new study.
Both groups were asked to take a few selfies (自拍) during their walks and upload them to a lab website and also complete a daily online assessment of their current mood. After eight weeks, the scientists compared the groups’ responses and photos. Not surprisingly, the awe walkers felt happier, less upset and more socially connected than the control group members.
The findings are subjective, though, since awe, like other emotions, is difficult to quantify, but Dr. Sturm thinks awe walks could be a simple thing for small wonders without any downside.
【小题1】What makes the new study different from the previous ones?| A．It concentrated on older people. |
| B．It found the solution to mental health. |
| C．It associated physical exercise with happiness. |
| D．It took both activity and awe into consideration. |
| A．desire | B．anxiety | C．discomfort | D．contentment |
| A．The number of volunteers is small. |
| B．The awe emotion is hard to measure. |
| C．The daily assessments are difficult to complete. |
| D．The period of the experiment isn’t long enough. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Indifferent. | C．Supportive. | D．Critical. |
