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Exploring automatic approach-avoidance tendencies: the impact of self-relevant social feedback on behavior
Jinhee Kim1, Meeseung Lee1, Jihwan Chae1
1Laboratory of Social and Decision Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
Frontiers in Psychology
|March 31, 2025
Summary
This study shows that people automatically approach positive social feedback and avoid negative feedback. Individual differences in social feedback sensitivity influence these automatic approach-avoidance behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Automatic approach-avoidance tendencies are well-documented for various stimuli.
- However, the influence of self-relevant evaluative feedback on these behaviors remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if self-relevant evaluative feedback influences automatic approach-avoidance tendencies.
- To explore the role of personality traits, such as fear of negative evaluation, in these behavioral responses.
Main Methods:
- A touchscreen-based approach and avoidance task was employed.
- Participants responded to colored fish icons, with task-irrelevant evaluative feedback on personality traits provided.
- Reaction times for approach and avoidance trials were measured.
Main Results:
- A significant valence-congruence effect was observed, with stronger effects for positive feedback.
- Higher social desirability ratings correlated with faster approach and slower avoidance.
- Fear of negative evaluation scores predicted slower approach tendencies.
Conclusions:
- Automatic approach and avoidance tendencies are triggered by self-relevant social feedback.
- This research provides a foundation for using touchscreen tasks to assess individual differences in social feedback sensitivity.
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