Posture as index for approach-avoidance behavior

Abstract

Approach and avoidance are two behavioral responses that make people tend to approach positive and avoid negative situations. This study examines whether postural behavior is influenced by the affective state of pictures. While standing on the Wii™ Balance Board, participants viewed pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant pictures (passively viewing phase). Then they had to move their body to the left or the right (lateral movement phase) to make the next picture appear. We recorded movements in the anterior-posterior direction to examine approach and avoidant behavior. During passively viewing, people approached pleasant pictures. They avoided unpleasant ones while they made a lateral movement. These findings provide support for the idea that we tend to approach positive and avoid negative situations.

Figure 1. Baseline corrected averaged response curves of y-axis movements during stance.

Figure 2. Linear models based on the baseline corrected averaged response curves of y-axis movements during stance.

Figure 3. Averaged response curves of y-axis movements during lateral movement.

Figure 4. Quartic models based on the averaged response curves of y-axis movements during lateral movement.