Investigation of Valence-Specific Laterality Effect on Approach–Avoidance Responses to Facial Expressions
Shinnosuke Ikeda
What the paper says
Recent research has identified 2 initial processes involved in interpreting emotions from facial expressions: the elicitation of an approach–avoidance response and the judgment of valence (positive or negative). However, it remained unclear whether these processes are independent or related. This study investigated their relationship by using the valence-specific laterality effect. The experiment involved 42 Japanese university students who were tasked with using a joystick to respond to facial expressions randomly displayed on the left and right sides of the screen. Predictions suggested that if the processes were related, a stronger avoidance response would occur for an angry expression presented on the left side. Results revealed no impact of facial expression position on the avoidance response. This finding suggests the independence of the 2 processes, indicating that the initial approach–avoidance response and valence judgment operate separately in interpreting emotions from facial expressions. It was proposed that future research should more thoroughly investigate the distinct processes governing approach–avoidance reactions and valence judgments.
Evidence weight
Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40
| F · citation impact | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
| M · momentum | 0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07 |
| V · venue signal | 0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03 |
| R · text relevance † | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.