Implicit motives predict affective responses to emotional expressions

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Affective Science

Background:

• Implicit motives are unconscious drivers of behavior.
• Activity inhibition (AI) moderates motive expression.
• Understanding affect in response to emotional stimuli is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how implicit motives and AI affect emotional experiences.
• To examine responses to various facial expressions of emotion (FEEs).
• To explore motive congruence in affective reactions.

Main Methods:

• Assessed implicit motives and AI using the Picture Story Exercise (PSE).
• Measured subjective affect (arousal, valence) via Self-Assessment Manikins (SAM).
• Presented six FEEs and neutral faces to 84 participants.

Main Results:

• Strong power or achievement motives correlated with higher arousal.
• Strong affiliation motives linked to lower arousal and less positive affect.
• Power motive × AI interaction revealed differential arousal patterns to neutral and emotional faces, especially for inhibited power motives.

Conclusions:

• Implicit motives significantly shape affective responses to emotional stimuli.
• Inhibited power motives show complex, context-dependent arousal patterns.
• Findings support dual-process models and highlight motive congruence in emotion research.