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Drawn to danger: trait anger predicts automatic approach behaviour to angry faces
Lotte Veenstra1, Iris K Schneider1, Brad J Bushman1,2
1a Department of Clinical Psychology , VU University Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands.
Cognition & Emotion
|February 20, 2016
Summary
Individuals high in trait anger may automatically approach hostile situations, particularly those involving direct eye contact. This contrasts with typical withdrawal responses to social threats, highlighting anger
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Emotion Research
Background:
- Most individuals instinctively avoid socially threatening scenarios.
- Trait anger may alter typical threat response behaviors, potentially leading to approach tendencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if individuals with high trait anger exhibit an approach behavior towards hostile social cues.
- To examine the role of direct eye gaze in mediating the approach-avoidance behavior in high trait anger individuals.
Main Methods:
- 118 participants completed an approach-avoidance task.
- Participants made movements towards faces displaying angry or happy expressions with direct or averted gaze.
- Trait anger levels were assessed and correlated with movement responses.
Main Results:
- Higher trait anger predicted faster approach movements towards angry faces.
- This effect was specific to angry faces with direct eye gaze, indicating a response to direct social threat.
- No similar effects were found for happy faces, confirming specificity to hostile stimuli.
Conclusions:
- Individuals high in trait anger may automatically approach, rather than avoid, hostile interaction partners.
- Direct eye gaze in hostile faces appears to be a key trigger for this approach behavior.
- Findings suggest a unique threat-processing mechanism in individuals with high trait anger.
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