Stigma, concealment, and social approach and avoidance goals

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.

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Swiping for the right reasons: Approach and avoidance goals are associated with actual and perceived dating success on Tinder

The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality ◽

10.3138/cjhs.2019-0010 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 93-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Julieta Strugo ◽

Amy Muise

Keyword(s):

Approach And Avoidance ◽

The Right ◽

Avoidance Goals

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Approach and avoidance goals and perceptions of romantic partners’ traits

Current Psychology ◽

10.1007/s12144-021-02477-x ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Courtney L. Gosnell ◽

Shelly L. Gable

Keyword(s):

Romantic Partners ◽

Approach And Avoidance ◽

Avoidance Goals

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Effects of Facial Skin Smoothness and Blemishes on Trait Impressions

Perception ◽

10.1177/0301006618767258 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 47 (6) ◽

pp. 608-625 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Bastian Jaeger ◽

Fieke M. A. Wagemans ◽

Anthony M. Evans ◽

Ilja van Beest

Keyword(s):

Negative Influence ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Facial Skin ◽

Social Approach ◽

Approach And Avoidance ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Smooth Skin ◽

Trait Inferences ◽

Trait Impressions ◽

Positive Effect

People make trait inferences based on facial appearance, and these inferences guide social approach and avoidance. Here, we investigate the effects of textural features on trait impressions from faces. In contrast to previous work, which exclusively manipulated skin smoothness, we manipulated smoothness and the presence of skin blemishes independently (Study 1) and orthogonally (Study 2). We hypothesized that people are particularly sensitive to skin blemishes because blemishes potentially indicate poor health and the presence of an infectious disease. We therefore predicted that the negative effect of blemished skin is stronger than the positive effect of smoothed skin. The results of both studies are in line with this reasoning. Across ratings of trustworthiness, competence, maturity, attractiveness, and health, the negative influence of skin blemishes was stronger and more consistent than the positive influence of skin smoothness (Study 1). Moreover, the presence of skin blemishes diminished the positive effect of skin smoothness on attractiveness ratings (Study 2). In sum, both facial skin blemishes and facial skin smoothness influence trait impression, but the negative effect of blemished skin is larger and more salient than the positive effect of smooth skin.

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Who Cares? Effects of Social Approach and Avoidance Motivation on Responsiveness to Others

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin ◽

10.1177/0146167218781335 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 182-195 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jana Nikitin ◽

Alexandra M. Freund

Keyword(s):

Social Relationships ◽

Social Outcomes ◽

Approach Motivation ◽

Social Situations ◽

Social Approach ◽

Approach And Avoidance ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Avoidance Motivation ◽

Relationship Closeness ◽

Approach And Avoidance Motivation

Responsiveness to others (i.e., our understanding, validation, and support of important aspects of others) significantly contributes to positive social relationships. In the present research, we found evidence that responsiveness has motivational origins. In two experiments, participants who were approaching positive social outcomes had a higher level of responsiveness compared with participants who were avoiding negative social outcomes. A third experiment disentangled the roles of motivation and situation valence. Positive (compared with negative) social situations were associated with higher approach motivation, lower avoidance motivation, and a higher level of responsiveness. However, within a given situation, both approach and avoidance motivation were associated with a higher level of responsiveness. This association was even stronger in negative situations, suggesting that both approach and avoidance motivation might be ways of behaving responsively in potentially difficult social situations. The effects were independent of relationship closeness and partly weaker in older compared with younger adults.

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