Anger Facial Expression Elicits Approach Not Avoidance, Study
Christopher Philip
Researchers Benjamin Wilkowski, University of Wyoming and Brian Meier, Gettysburg College devised a study whereby they discovered that rather than avoid an angry facial expression, people tend to approach.
This may seem surprising, given that an angry face can sometimes lead to troubling outcomes, however, an angry face, by itself, can indicate the necessity to deal with a person. While simply avoiding the person and their angry face, will, in the short term, reduce potential conflict it does not rectify the issue altogether. Thus, the angry face is a clue that something isn’t right and that an issue needs to be dealt with.
Over three studies, the researchers evoked “approach” and “avoidance” responses. These have been previously shown to indicate ‘how the mind thinks.’ When people flex their muscles such that they would expect to bring an object close to them such as drawing the arms near the body, this shows that a person wishes to approach the object. Conversely, when arms are extended out and away from the body, they show a desire to avoid an object.
Researchers us approach and avoidance movements since merely asking people how they feel about facial expressions, namely anger expressions, can often produce inaccurate and subjective responses. By measuring the approach and avoidance reaction to certain stimulus, one can more accurately measure people’s hidden thoughts.
In the first study, the researchers found that angry facial expressions produced quicker reactions to approach when compared to neutral facial expressions. This showed that people tended to want to approach the angry faces faster than neutral expressions. In the second study, the results also showed that people were faster in responding to angry faces than fearful faces.
The results also showed that approach was more effective in overcoming a specific social challenge.
Thus, while it might seem intuitive to believe that people avoid negative stimuli, a negative face, is not always something that one should be particularly motivated to avoid – but rather confront.
When an angry face is presented, avoiding it might lead to greater aggression at a later date, and we may be wired to deal with an angry face sooner rather than later.
This lead the researchers to conclude that “Although many models suggest that human beings are invariably motivated to avoid negative stimuli more recent models suggest that people should be motivated to approach, confront, and overcome the social challenge posed by angry facial expressions.?”
Image Credit: Craig Sunter
Resources
Wilkowski, Benjamin M. and Brian P. Meier. Bring It On: Angry Facial Expressions Potentiate Approach-Motivated Motor Behavior. 2019. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 98(2): 201-210.