Reichardt Regina
Department of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Front Psychol. 2018 Apr 6;9:488. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00488. eCollection 2018.
Abundant evidence suggests that affective stimuli facilitate responses that lead to a compatible change in distance between the affective stimulus and the self (positive → approach, negative → avoidance). A special situation arises, when a barrier blocks the direct way toward or away from an affective stimulus. Recent evidence suggests that in such cases affective stimuli facilitate responses that ultimately lead to a compatible change in distance, even when this requires an initial step in the opposite and thus incompatible direction. The present study investigated whether this is the case even when relatively complex processing is required to recognize the presence of a barrier and, thus, the need for a detour. Employing a stimulus-response-compatibility task, we asked participants to move a manikin along the pathways of a maze toward or away from a positive or negative stimulus. The direct way was possible on half of the trials and blocked by a barrier on the other half of the trials. In the latter case, the manikin had to first be moved in the direction opposite to the position ultimately intended. We manipulated between participants the type of barrier and, thus, the complexity of cognitive processing required to recognize the need for a detour. In the simple condition, a black bar was presented as a barrier on the way. In the complex condition, a blue or yellow bar was presented, and the color indicated whether the bar constituted a barrier (locked gate) or not (open gate). Replicating and extending previous findings, the present study shows that affective stimuli facilitate ultimately (not immediately) compatible approach-avoidance responses, even when relatively complex processing is required to recognize the need for a detour.
大量证据表明，情感刺激会促进那些导致情感刺激与自我之间距离产生相应变化的反应（积极→趋近，消极→回避）。当有障碍物阻挡朝向或远离情感刺激的直接路径时，就会出现一种特殊情况。最近的证据表明，在这种情况下，情感刺激会促进那些最终导致距离产生相应变化的反应，即使这需要先迈出相反方向（即不相符方向）的第一步。本研究调查了即使在需要相对复杂的加工来识别障碍物的存在以及因此需要绕道而行的情况下，是否也是如此。我们采用了刺激-反应兼容性任务，要求参与者沿着迷宫路径将一个人体模型移向或移离一个积极或消极刺激。在一半的试验中，直接路径是可行的，而在另一半试验中则被障碍物阻挡。在后一种情况下，人体模型必须首先朝着最终预期位置的相反方向移动。我们在参与者之间操纵障碍物的类型，从而操纵识别绕道需要所需的认知加工的复杂性。在简单条件下，在路径上呈现一根黑色条作为障碍物。在复杂条件下，呈现一根蓝色或黄色条，颜色表明该条是否构成障碍物（锁着的门）或不是（打开的门）。本研究重复并扩展了先前的研究结果，表明情感刺激会促进最终（而非立即）相符的趋近-回避反应，即使在需要相对复杂的加工来识别绕道需要的情况下也是如此。
