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Published on: February 6, 2015
Emotional influences on locomotor behavior
Kelly M Naugle1, Jessica Joyner, Chris J Hass
1Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. kmgamble@hhp.ufl.edu
Journal of Biomechanics
|September 11, 2010
Summary
Emotional stimuli impact walking behavior. Approaching positive images like erotic content speeds up steps, while aversive images like mutilation slow them down, affecting survival behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Emotional stimuli are crucial for motivating approach and avoidance behaviors, which are vital for survival.
- Understanding how specific emotions influence physical actions like locomotion is essential for a comprehensive view of human behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of different emotional stimuli on forward, approach-oriented locomotion.
- To quantify changes in step length and velocity in response to visual emotional cues.
Main Methods:
- Participants walked towards images with varying emotional content (erotic, happy, attack, mutilation, contamination, neutral).
- Locomotion was assessed by measuring step length and step velocity during the initial steps after image onset.
Main Results:
- Mutilation and contamination images significantly shortened step length compared to erotic images.
- Step velocity increased when approaching erotic images versus aversive (contamination, mutilation) or neutral images.
Conclusions:
- Locomotion is facilitated by approach-oriented emotional stimuli and hindered by aversive stimuli.
- This research deepens the understanding of the interplay between emotions, motivation, and motor actions.
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