The Role of Awe Emotion in the Attitude–Behavioral Intention Relationship: A Systematic Literature Review
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2026-09-28Downloads
Abstract
This article presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) supported by bibliometric analysis to map how awe emotion relates to tourists’ attitudes and behavioral intentions, including revisit intention, with particular attention to evidence concerning moderation and mediation. Literature was gathered from Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SAGE Journals, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley Online Library, covering studies published between 2015 and 2026 together with selected foundational references. Keyword mapping identified five thematic clusters: (1) awe and emotional experience, (2) pro-environmental and responsible behavior, (3) attitude and behavioral intention, (4) tourism antecedents such as motivation, past experience, and perceived constraints, and (5) moderation and mediation mechanisms. The findings indicate that awe is consistently associated with behavioral outcomes and may strengthen the translation of positive evaluations or motivations into behavioral intentions in particular contexts. However, the evidence base is more extensive for mediation than for awe as a pure moderator, and some moderation evidence concerns destination residents rather than tourists. Accordingly, claims about moderation should be interpreted as an emerging research direction rather than an established general effect. The review identifies a research gap concerning the integration of travel motivation, past experience, perceived constraints, attitude, awe, and revisit intention within a single empirical framework, particularly in Indonesian tourism contexts.
Keywords:
Awe Emotion Attitude Behavioral Intention Moderation Revisit Intention Systematic Literature ReviewReferences
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