The potential role of temporal dynamics in approach biases: delay-dependence of a general approach bias in an alcohol approach-avoidance task.

Thomas E Gladwin,Sã¶Ren E Mohr,Reinout W Wiers

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01398

Thomas E Gladwin, Sã¶Ren E Mohr + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01398

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Abstract

Attractive cues have been shown to evoke automatic approach biases in tasks such as the Automatic Approach Task or Stimulus Response Compatibility task. An important but as yet not studied question is the role of temporal dynamics in such tasks: the impact of automatic processes may depend on the interval between cue and response. The current proof of principle study tested this hypothesized time-dependence of the approach bias. Secondary goals included the exploration of effects of alcohol cues and virtual hand stimuli. 22 participants performed an SRC task in which the delay between the presentation of the cue and the possibility to select the response was manipulated. Results revealed an approach bias that decayed over longer delays. Thus, the approach bias was indeed dependent on processes that are transiently evoked by cues. The results did not show significant effects of alcohol cues or a virtual hand. Temporal dynamics may be an essential feature of approach biases.

Highlights

Attractive, appetitive cues, such as drug-related stimuli, have been shown to evoke automatic approach tendencies in versions of tasks such as the Approach Avoidance Task (AAT) or manikin Stimulus Response Compatibility (SRC) task (Saraiva et al, 2013; Phaf et al, 2014)
As hypothesized, approach biases decreased with delays, in line with the idea that the balance between reflective, task-related processing and automatic biases may involve time-dependent processes
If it were the case that the approach bias involves only a process involving execution of the movement itself, it should not depend on the time since cue presentation

Summary

Introduction

Attractive, appetitive cues, such as drug-related stimuli, have been shown to evoke automatic approach tendencies in versions of tasks such as the Approach Avoidance Task (AAT) or manikin Stimulus Response Compatibility (SRC) task (Saraiva et al, 2013; Phaf et al, 2014). In the AAT, participants typically use a joystick to pull a stimulus toward them or push a stimulus away from them This allows an approach/avoidance bias for one stimulus category relative to another to be measures; arachnophobic subjects are for example relatively slow to pull images of spiders toward them (Rinck and Becker, 2007), and drug-using subjects are relatively fast to pull drug-related stimuli (Wiers et al, 2009; Cousijn et al, 2011). Approach effects have been found on attention to alcohol cues, indicating that such cues are salient and attractive to drinkers: for instance, heavy social drinkers show an attentional bias toward alcohol cues (Townshend and Duka, 2001), such effects are complex (see below and, e.g., Loeber et al, 2009)

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