Explicit and implicit approach motivation interact to predict interpersonal arrogance.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Self-report measures of approach motivation may not fully capture an individual's response to appetitive cues.
• Existing methods may not adequately assess implicit approach tendencies, which are crucial for understanding behavior.
• Arrogance is an interpersonal dimension linked to negative outcomes like aggression and antisocial tendencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel implicit measure of approach motivation.
• To investigate the interaction between self-reported and implicit approach motivation.
• To examine the relationship between approach motivation (both implicit and explicit) and interpersonal arrogance.

Main Methods:

• Development of an implicit probe assessing if positive affect stimuli prime larger size estimates, indicative of approach tendencies.
• Two studies conducted with a total of 150 participants.
• Analysis of the interaction between self-reported approach motivation and the implicit approach probe in predicting arrogance.

Main Results:

• Self-reported approach motivation significantly predicted interpersonal arrogance, but only when implicit approach motivation was high.
• The results were consistent across both studies, demonstrating a reliable interaction effect.
• This highlights the importance of considering both explicit and implicit measures of motivation.

Conclusions:

• Implicit measures of approach motivation are necessary for a comprehensive understanding of how individuals respond to appetitive cues.
• The interaction between implicit and explicit approach motivation influences interpersonal arrogance.
• Findings have implications for understanding problematic approach-related behaviors and personality dimensions.