Conflict in a word‐based approach‐avoidance task is stronger with positive words

• Published in: Brain and behavior 2023-06, Vol.13 (6), p.e3008-n/a
• Main Authors: Klackl, Johannes, Blechert, Jens, Jonas, Eva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anger; approach; avoidance; Avoidance behavior; Behavior; Conflict, Psychological; Emotions; event‐related potential; Evoked Potentials; Food; Humans; manikin task; Motivation; Original; Reaction Time
• ISSN: 2162-3279; 2162-3279
• DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3008

Background Valence and motivational direction are linked. We approach good things and avoid bad things, and experience overriding these links as conflicting. Positive valence is more consistently linked with approach than negative valence is linked with avoidance. Therefore, avoiding positive stimuli should produce greater behavioral and neural signs of conflict than approaching negative stimuli. Methods In the present event‐related potential study, we tested this assumption by contrasting positive and negative conflict. We used the manikin task, in which we read positive and negative words that they needed to approach and avoid. Results Consistent with our prediction, positive conflict prolonged reaction times more than negative conflict did. A late (500–1000 ms following word onset) event‐related potential that we identified as the Conflict slow potential, was only sensitive to positive conflict. Conclusion The results of this study support the notion that avoiding positive stimuli is more conflicting than approaching negative stimuli. The fact that the conflict slow potential is typically sensitive to response conflict rather than stimulus conflict suggests that the manikin task primarily requires people to override prepotent responses rather than to identify conflicting stimuli. Thus, the present findings also shed light on the psychological processes subserving conflict resolution in the manikin task. The manikin task requires overriding intuitive responses to approach and avoid valent stimuli. Avoiding vs. aproaching positive stimuli boosted the N450 and the conflict slow potential. We observed no conflict effect with negative words, presumably because negative valence is less associated with avoidance than positive valence is associated with approach.