INFLUENCE OF MIXED FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ON THE APPROACH AND AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR

Abstract

The facial expression of perceived people, depending on the modality of emotions, influences the approach and avoidance behavior, providing a quick and evolutionarily appropriate response. The influence of mixed facial expressions on the change in the distance between contacting people remains insufficiently studied. The goal of this study is to determine the defining traits of the behavioral tendency to approach and avoid perceived expressions of mixed emotions. The study was expected to find differences in the moving stimuli with mixed facial expressions compared to the basic one, closer and further. The subjects were presented with a computer version of the visual task of approaching and moving away, in which a delay in the psychomotor reaction was recorded under two conditions: affectively congruent (approaching positive and avoiding negative stimuli) and affectively incongruent (composed in the opposite way). By pressing the corresponding keys, the subjects enlarged or reduced the images, which contributed to the creation of the effect of changing the distance between participants and stimuli. Photographic images of basic emotions (anger, fear, joy) and combined expressions from these were used as stimuli. The sample consisted of 60 people aged from 17 to 24 (Ме=20.5), 50% men. The results indicate that the combined expressions used in the study are approached more slowly than expressions of joy and fear (but not anger), and moved further with the same delay in the psychomotor reaction. Thus, the response to combined expressions depends on clearly visible negative valence signals and is not compensated by a pronounced smile. This indicates the dominance of the main diagnostic feature in the formation of a behavioral tendency to approach and avoid. The results obtained can be used to develop social and emotional competence, providing the possibility of recognition and correction of the approach and avoidance behavior towards perceived people depending on mixed facial expression.