Automatic appraisal of motivational valence: Motivational affective priming and Simon effects

Abstract

We investigated whether motivationally determined stimulus valence can\nprocessed in an automatic way, as is assumed in many appraisal theories (e.g., Frijda,\n1986, 1993; Lazarus, 1991; Scherer, 1993a). Whereas appraisal theorists typically\nuse conscious self-report methods to investigate their assumptions, our experiments\nused indirect experimental methods that leave less room for deliberate, conscious\nreflections of the participants. Using variants of the affective priming and Simon\nparadigms, we demonstrated that intrinsically neutral, but wanted stimuli facilitated\nresponses with a positive valence, whereas intrinsically neutral, but unwanted\nstimuli facilitated negative responses. In addition, the second experiment proved\nbe supportive of another assumption made by appraisal theorists according to which\na relation exits between different (automatic) outcomes of motivational appraisal\n(positive-negative) and different action tendencies (approach-withdrawal).