The Effects of Priming-Induced Social Approach and Avoidance Goals on the Exploration of Goal-Relevant Stimuli

An Eye-Tracking Experiment

Bibliographic Data

ID5338684
AuthorsJarek Krajewski (0000-0001-8936-7105, University of Wuppertal), Martin Sauerland (University of Koblenz and Landau), Michael Muessigmann, Michael J Muessigmann (University of Koblenz and Landau)
Year2011
Volume42
Issue2
Pages152-158
Publication date2011-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1864-9335 • E-ISSN: 2151-2590
PublisherHogrefe Publishing Group (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1027/1864-9335/a000055
OpenAlexW2137231713
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited32

This article presents an experiment testing the assumption that humans show clear avoidance reactions to possible nonbeneficial social contacts, even without conscious awareness. When the potential costs of interpersonal contacts are salient, people quickly respond to and extensively explore those situational configurations that are relevant to experimentally induced goals. A priming procedure was used to activate potential costs or benefits of interpersonal contacts or neutral aspects. To assess the unconscious activation of social approach or avoidance responses we chose three parameters reflecting participants' eye movements on different pictures that contained (1) social and (2) nonsocial flight- and avoidance-relevant areas (areas of interest, AOI). Participants primed with the costs (benefits) of social contacts explored nonsocial (social) AOI on the presented pictures significantly longer than participants who were primed with the benefits (costs) of interpersonal contacts

Cognitive psychology · Interpersonal communication · Priming (agriculture) · Salient · Situational ethics · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Computer Science · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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