TY - JOUR

T1 - Recognition and approach responses toward threatening objects

AU - Genschow, Oliver

AU - Florack, Arnd

AU - Wänke, Michaela

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Previous research suggests that positive stimuli are often approached as well as recognized faster than negative stimuli. We argue that this effect does not hold if negative stimuli are associated with threat. Based on fear module theory (Öhman & Mineka, 2001, 2003), we argue that individuals recognize threatening stimuli faster than positive stimuli because of a constant monitoring of the environment for threatening objects. Moreover, based on the assumption of a motivational account underlying approach-avoidance responses (Krieglmeyer & Deutsch, 2010), we assume the recognition then directly evokes a careful and slow approach of threatening objects. Applying a response time task that measures approach movement and recognition times within the same task, we found that individuals recognize threatening pictures faster than positive pictures, but approach the threatening pictures slower than the positive pictures.

AB - Previous research suggests that positive stimuli are often approached as well as recognized faster than negative stimuli. We argue that this effect does not hold if negative stimuli are associated with threat. Based on fear module theory (Öhman & Mineka, 2001, 2003), we argue that individuals recognize threatening stimuli faster than positive stimuli because of a constant monitoring of the environment for threatening objects. Moreover, based on the assumption of a motivational account underlying approach-avoidance responses (Krieglmeyer & Deutsch, 2010), we assume the recognition then directly evokes a careful and slow approach of threatening objects. Applying a response time task that measures approach movement and recognition times within the same task, we found that individuals recognize threatening pictures faster than positive pictures, but approach the threatening pictures slower than the positive pictures.

KW - Approach

KW - Fear module theory

KW - Recognition

KW - Threat

KW - Business psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84899071618&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/cc21d7a0-0da7-39f3-a85b-ad2037570ce2/

U2 - 10.1027/1864-9335/a000163

DO - 10.1027/1864-9335/a000163

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84899071618

VL - 45

SP - 86

EP - 92

JO - Social Psychology

JF - Social Psychology

SN - 1864-9335

IS - 2

ER -