Taking a Detour: Affective Stimuli Facilitate Ultimately (Not Immediately) Compatible Approach-Avoidance Tendencies
1Department of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Frontiers in Psychology
|April 24, 2018
Summary
Affective stimuli guide approach-avoidance responses, even when detours are needed. This holds true even when recognizing the detour requires complex cognitive processing.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Affective stimuli typically elicit approach (positive) or avoidance (negative) behaviors.
- Barriers can necessitate detours, requiring initial movements opposite to the ultimate goal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if affective stimuli guide behavior towards ultimate goals despite detour requirements.
- To examine if this effect persists with complex cognitive processing for barrier recognition.
Main Methods:
- A stimulus-response-compatibility task using a maze.
- Participants moved a manikin towards/away from affective stimuli.
- Barriers were manipulated (simple vs. complex color-coded) to test detour recognition.
Main Results:
- Affective stimuli facilitated ultimately compatible approach-avoidance responses.
- This facilitation occurred even when an initial incompatible movement was required.
- The effect persisted with complex cognitive processing for barrier identification.
Conclusions:
- Affective valence guides behavior towards ultimate goals, overriding immediate incompatible movements.
- Cognitive processing complexity does not impede affective stimulus-driven behavioral guidance for detours.
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