Using awe to encourage adults to take preventive steps like vaccination, mask-wearing, and social distancing
Fostering Prosocial Behaviours Against Infectious Diseases Through Awe: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This project will test if feeling awe makes adults in Hong Kong, Singapore, and major Mainland Chinese cities more likely to get vaccinated, wear masks, and keep social distance.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 456 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | The University of Hong Kong Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hong Kong) |
| Trial ID | NCT07406529 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This nested randomized controlled trial recruits adults who participated in a prior online longitudinal survey and agreed to be recontacted, randomizing them 1:1 to an awe-induction or a neutral-imagination control delivered online. The intervention is delivered approximately four months after the baseline assessment (Feb–Mar 2026) and outcomes are measured by intentions to engage in prosocial preventive behaviours such as vaccination, mask-wearing, and social distancing. The trial is implemented across Hong Kong, Singapore, and ten major Mainland China cities using online surveys and brief experimental tasks. Analyses will compare post-intervention intentions between groups and examine whether effects differ by site.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 18 or older who have lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, or one of the ten listed Mainland China cities in the past year, can read Chinese or English, have internet access, and agreed to be recontacted from the baseline survey are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without reliable internet access, those who cannot read Chinese or English, those living outside the listed locations, or individuals with cognitive or linguistic difficulties preventing online participation are unlikely to benefit from this online intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could increase people's willingness to take preventive actions like vaccination and mask-wearing, which may reduce infectious disease spread.
How similar studies have performed: Prior psychological research shows awe can increase prosocial intentions, but applying awe specifically to increase infectious-disease preventive behaviours in randomized trials is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (age ≥18 years) who live in * Hong Kong, Singapore, and ten major cities in Mainland China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xi'an, Nanjing) over the past one year * Able to read and understand written Chinese or English * Have access to the internet through computers, mobile phones, or tablets Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals with cognitive or linguistic difficulties that would prevent them from completing an online survey will be excluded.
Where this trial is running
Hong Kong
- University of Hong Kong School of Public Health — Hong Kong, Hong Kong (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Qiuyan Liao
- Email: qyliao11@hku.hk
- Phone: 39179289
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.