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A study named desire: Local focus increases approach motivation for desserts

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Abstract

When we desire something, our approach motivation is high. Recent research shows affective states high in approach motivation cause attentional narrowing (localization) (e.g.; Gable and Harmon-Jones in Psychological Science 19:476–482, 2008; Juergensen and Demaree in Motivation and Emotion 39:580–588, 2015). Does the reciprocal relationship exist? That is, when our attention is narrowed, does our motivation to approach something desirable increase? To test this, we primed participants with either global or local attentional focus before viewing images of desirable items (e.g., desserts) or neutral items (e.g., furniture). Relative to participants primed with global attentional focus, participants primed with local attentional focus demonstrated greater approach motivation to desirable desserts compared to neutral items on an Approach Avoidance Task. Despite greater approach motivation for desserts, participants with localized attention did not subjectively rate desserts as more desirable than participants with global attention. These results suggest that increased approach motivation following local priming is evidenced at an implicit level only: participants appear to be unaware of appetitive images’ increased desirability.

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Notes

  1. International Affective Picture System images included in the D-AAT: 7000, 7001, 7002, 7003, 7006, 7009, 7010, 7012, 7014, 7016, 7017, 7018, 7020, 7021, 7025, 7026, 7030, 7031, 7034, 7040, 7041, 7045, 7050, 7052, 7053, 7056, 7059, 7061, 7062, 7090, 7100, 7160, 7161, 7170, 7175, 7185, 7186, 7190, 7211, and 7235.

  2. Gable and Harmon-Jones generously provided the images from their 2008 study to the co-author for use in the D-AAT.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7123, USA

    Anne E. Kotynski & Heath A. Demaree

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  1. Anne E. Kotynski
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  2. Heath A. Demaree
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Correspondence to Anne E. Kotynski.

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Kotynski, A.E., Demaree, H.A. A study named desire: Local focus increases approach motivation for desserts. Motiv Emot 41, 455–464 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-017-9622-x

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