Conflict in a word-based approach-avoidance task is stronger with positive words.
Brain Behav
; 13(6): e3008, 2023 06.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37165754
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Valence and motivational direction are linked. We approach good things and avoid bad things, and experience overriding these links as conflicting. Positive valence is more consistently linked with approach than negative valence is linked with avoidance. Therefore, avoiding positive stimuli should produce greater behavioral and neural signs of conflict than approaching negative stimuli.METHODS:
In the present event-related potential study, we tested this assumption by contrasting positive and negative conflict. We used the manikin task, in which we read positive and negative words that they needed to approach and avoid.RESULTS:
Consistent with our prediction, positive conflict prolonged reaction times more than negative conflict did. A late (500-1000 ms following word onset) event-related potential that we identified as the Conflict slow potential, was only sensitive to positive conflict.CONCLUSION:
The results of this study support the notion that avoiding positive stimuli is more conflicting than approaching negative stimuli. The fact that the conflict slow potential is typically sensitive to response conflict rather than stimulus conflict suggests that the manikin task primarily requires people to override prepotent responses rather than to identify conflicting stimuli. Thus, the present findings also shed light on the psychological processes subserving conflict resolution in the manikin task.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Conflict, Psychological
/
Motivation
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Brain Behav
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Austria
Publication country:
EEUU
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS DA AMERICA
/
EUA
/
UNITED STATES
/
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
/
US
/
USA