title: Effects of approach-avoidance training on implicit and explicit evaluations of neutral, angry, and smiling face stimuli.
abstract: A growing body of evidence shows that the prolonged execution of approach movements towards stimuli and avoidance movements away from them affects their evaluation. However, there has been no systematic investigation of such training effects. Therefore, the present study compared approach-avoidance training effects on various valenced representations of one neutral (Experiment 1, N = 85), angry (Experiment 2, N = 87), or smiling facial expressions (Experiment 3, N= 89). The face stimuli were shown on a computer screen, and by means of a joystick, participants pulled half of the faces closer (positive approach movement), and pushed the other half away (negative avoidance movement). Only implicit evaluations of neutral-expression were affected by the training procedure. The boundary conditions of such approach-avoidance training effects are discussed.
authors: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. M.Woud@psych.ru.nl
authors: Marcella L
authors: ML
authors: Woud
authors: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Eni S
authors: ES
authors: Becker
authors: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Wolf-Gero
authors: WG
authors: Lange
authors: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Rinck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012904:Smiling / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult