Self-Transcendence Initiative
Change happens when we feel like we can make a difference.
That’s why it is so important to understand what empowers people to come together and make an impact on some of today’s biggest problems.
Scientists are working toward technical solutions to pressing social issues that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, including poverty, climate change, racism, and the COVID-19 pandemic. But even if we have the tools to solve a problem like climate change, we can’t make progress if the scope of the challenge simply leaves people feeling overwhelmed and helpless.
That is where self-transcendence comes in. Our science demonstrates how we can help people attune to social problems and energize them to take collective action. It shows us how people take a traumatic or negative experience like a pandemic and draw meaning from it, learn about the experiences of others, cultivate compassion within themselves, and take action in constructive and cohesive ways.
Our research on self-transcendence fosters compassion, understanding, and action through scientific research, education, service programs, and outreach. We are inspiring the next generation of leaders and engaging community stakeholders to use the power of self-transcendence to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
RESEARCH
We are advancing the scientific understanding of self-transcendence. Building compassion, empathy, awe, and wonder can help ameliorate many of our most pressing social and environmental problems, from poverty and inequality, through mental and physical health, to climate change and nature loss.
Latest Research News
In the News: Paul Piff on Awe for Irvine Standard
In an article written by Kathrine Ellison for Irvine Standard, Blum Center researcher Paul Piff is interviewed regarding his work within the world of awe. He explains that...
New Publication: Goldy and Piff’s Commentary on Awesome Imaginary Worlds
Researchers Sean Goldy and Blum Center Associate Director Paul Piff recently published a commentary in Behavioral and Brain Sciences in response to Edgar Dubourg and...
New Article: Real-World Awe and Prosociality
In a new research article, Blum Center Associate Director Paul Piff, along with Sean Goldy and Nickolas Jones, suggest that “awesome” natural events we witness in our...
Research Leads
Paul Piff (Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine. His primary interests are in how social hierarchy, economic inequality and social class, and social emotion shape relations between individuals and groups.
Pia Dietze (Ph.D., New York University) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Science researching how disparities in the economic conditions of the lives of different social class groups shape their social attitudes, attention, and appraisals. Her research employs a variety of cutting-edge tools, including psychophysiology, virtual reality, social media engagement, and reaction times.
Angela Robinson (Ph.D., University of California, Irvine) is a postdoctoral scholar interested in how group identities such as race and gender influence social behavior. Her research examines how group-related perceptions and attitudes shape political participation and community engagement.
EDUCATION
We are advancing the scientific understanding of self-transcendence. Building compassion, empathy, awe, and wonder can help ameliorate many of our most pressing social and environmental problems, from poverty and inequality, through mental and physical health, to climate change and nature loss.
SERVICE PROGRAMS
We help students put self-transcendence into practice through immersive service opportunities. These programs offer students a way to address community needs and develop leadership skills.
OUTREACH
We create educational and participation opportunities for the public to inspire self-transcendence and more compassionate leadership in our local communities.
In the News
- School spreads love through Art (UCI Social Ecology)
- Muralist puts love on the wall at UC Irvine (LA Times)
- UC Irvine class teaches students the science of compassion (LA Times/Daily Pilot)
- Compassion: A Call to Action (UCI Social Ecology)
- Practicing compassion far from home (UCI Social Ecology)
