Avoidance Motivation Research Articles

Blunted Neurobehavioral Loss Anticipation Predicts Relapse to Stimulant Drug Use

BackgroundPatients with stimulant use disorder experience high rates of relapse. While neurobehavioral mechanisms involved in initiating drug use have been studied extensively, less research has focused on relapse. MethodsTo assess motivational processes involved in relapse and diagnosis, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging responses to nondrug (monetary) gains and losses in detoxified patients with stimulant use disorder (n = 68) and community control participants (n = 42). In a prospective multimodal design, we combined imaging of brain function, brain structure, and behavior to longitudinally track subsequent risk for relapse. ResultsAt the 6-month follow-up assessment, 27 patients remained abstinent, but 33 had relapsed. Patients with blunted anterior insula (AIns) activity during loss anticipation were more likely to relapse, an association that remained robust after controlling for potential confounds (i.e., craving, negative mood, years of use, age, and gender). Lower AIns activity during loss anticipation was associated with lower self-reported negative arousal to loss cues and slower behavioral responses to avoid losses, which also independently predicted relapse. Furthermore, AIns activity during loss anticipation was associated with the structural coherence of a tract connecting the AIns and the nucleus accumbens, as was functional connectivity between the AIns and nucleus accumbens during loss processing. However, these neurobehavioral responses did not differ between patients and control participants. ConclusionsTaken together, the results of the current study show that neurobehavioral markers predicted relapse above and beyond conventional self-report measures, with a cross-validated accuracy of 72.7%. These findings offer convergent multimodal evidence that implicates blunted avoidance motivation in relapse to stimulant use and may therefore guide interventions targeting individuals who are most vulnerable to relapse.

A network perspective on real-life threat, anxiety, and avoidance.

Anxiety, approach, and avoidance motivation crucially influence mental and physical health, especially when environments are stressful. The interplay between anxiety and behavioral motivation is modulated by multiple individual factors. This proof-of-concept study applies graph-theoretical network analysis to explore complex associations between self-reported trait anxiety, approach and avoidance motivation, situational anxiety, stress symptoms, perceived threat, perceived positive consequences of approach, and self-reported avoidance behavior in real-life threat situations. A total of 436 participants who were matched on age and gender (218 psychotherapy patients, 218 online-recruited nonpatients) completed an online survey assessing these factors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting cross-sectional psychological network revealed a complex pattern with multiple positive (e.g., between trait anxiety, avoidance motivation, and avoidance behavior) and negative associations (e.g., between approach and avoidance motivation). The patient and online subsample networks did not differ significantly, however, descriptive differences may inform future research.

Evaluation and Optimization of Restorative Environmental Perception of Treetop Trails: The Case of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Xiamen, China

A treetop trail is an elevated linear green open space that plays a key role in forming a scientifically rational urban space and meeting the growing leisure needs of the people. Taking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in Xiamen, China as a case, and through 426 questionnaires, this study explores the dimensions of the perceived restorative environment components of greenway recreationists and impacts on behavioral intentions. The demographic factors lead us to the following three conclusions. First, from an age perspective, restorative environmental perceptions are strongest among those aged 60 and above and weakest among those aged 18–30. Second, in terms of place of permanent residence, local visitors have stronger restorative environmental perceptions than other city users. Third, in relation to the number of accompanying travelers, individuals who embark on solo journeys experience the most robust perception, while that diminishes as the count reaches three or more companions. A structural equation model (SEM) is used to present the quantitative relationship among avoidance motivation, treetop trail environmental quality, restorative environmental perception, place attachment, and loyalty. The results showed that users’ escape motivation has a direct and indirect positive correlation with restorative environmental perceptions, and environmental perceptions have a significant positive correlation with restorative environmental perceptions. Furthermore, their place attachment to the restorative nature of the treetop trails positively affected their loyalty. This study provides essential factors to consider when constructing treetop trails in high-density cities.

Divergent reactions to COVID‐19 exhibited in grandiose and vulnerable narcissism

AbstractGrandiosity and vulnerability are distinct dimensions of narcissism that may exhibit differences regarding compliance with COVID‐19 regulations and policies. Although both dimensions reflect entitlement and self‐importance, motivational tendencies diverge. Narcissistic grandiosity reflects bold expressions consistent with approach motivation, whereas vulnerable narcissism reflects reactive expressions consistent with avoidance motivation. Therefore, the present cross‐sectional investigation explored these relations between November 2020 and April 2021. Undergraduates (N = 487, Mage = 19.79, 87.1% women) completed online surveys that assessed grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, perceived severity of and susceptibility to COVID, attitudes and reactions toward COVID policies, as well as self‐reported behavioral data including number of daily hours out in public, indoor bar/restaurant attendance, and whether they had ever received a positive COVID diagnosis. Consistent with theoretical distinctions between the two narcissistic dimensions, grandiosity generally predicted reduced behavioral compliance and extraverted tendencies that put them at risk for COVID exposure; however, both grandiosity and vulnerability predicted worse reactions and attitudes toward COVID‐19 policies.

ADHD and the avoidance of mental effort: the role of response inhibition and avoidance motivation

ABSTRACT Objective The tendency of people with ADHD to avoid tasks that require mental effort impacts their academic achievement. Findings in the literature suggest that children with ADHD find cognitive tasks more effortful and uncomfortable than their typically developing peers. However, neuropsychological processes contributing to this remain unclear. The present study investigated whether the relationship between prepotent motor response inhibition and avoiding mental effort is mediated by the ability to resist avoidance motivation and whether this proposed mediation mechanism is contingent on ADHD diagnosis. Method 40 children with ADHD and 40 gender and age-matched typically developing peers participated in the study. They completed the Cognitive Effort Avoidance Measure, the Go/No-go Task, and the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory-Personality Questionnaire-Children. Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were employed to test the hypotheses. Results Children with ADHD scored lower in response inhibition and resisting avoidance motivation. Poorer scores in these variables were associated with a higher avoidance rate. Moreover, the ability to resist avoidance motivation completely mediated the relationship between response inhibition and avoidance rate only among children with ADHD. Conclusion Findings imply that poorer response inhibition led to an increase in avoidance motivation among children with ADHD, which becomes challenging to regulate effectively due to an impairment in the ability to resist avoidance motivation. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

The Indirect Effect of Avoidant Motives for Sex on the Pathways From Childhood Maltreatment to Risky Sex Behaviors.

Literature supports a strong link between engagement in risky sex and childhood maltreatment, with engagement in risky sexual behavior proposed as a manifestation of avoidant coping. Sex motives refer to underlying motivations for engaging in sex such as increased intimacy, or peer pressure. Limited research has examined the role of sex motives on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and risky sex. This study sought to examine this path between childhood maltreatment types and later engagement in risky sex through sex motivations that seek to avoid or reduce negative affect (i.e., sex to cope and sex to affirm self-esteem). A sample of sexually active undergraduate women (n = 551) completed a series of questionnaires on childhood maltreatment, risky sexual behavior, and motivations for sexual intercourse as part of a larger parent study on revictimization. Path analysis was conducted to examine differential indirect effects of childhood maltreatment on risky sex (i.e., sex with a stranger and hookup behaviors). Results suggested sex to cope with negative affect mediated the relationship between emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and hookup behavior. Only an indirect path between childhood emotional abuse and sex with a stranger was identified through sex to cope. Emotional abuse was the only maltreatment to predict sex to affirm, but sex to affirm did not predict risky sex outcomes. Findings provide support for differential pathways from various forms of childhood maltreatment, specifically sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and physical neglect, to increased risky sex as a manifestation of avoidant coping. Furthermore, results support the call for more inclusion of nonsexual forms of childhood maltreatment in studies of risky sex and avoidant coping as a potential intervention target for risky sexual behavior regardless of childhood maltreatment type.

Tax Avoidance: Peran Karakter Auditor Menekan Munculnya Tax Avoidance (Kasus Pada Perusahaan yang Tergabung dalam JII70 Tahun 2021)

<p class="bdabstract"><em><span>The research is intended to test the effect of auditor characteristics (audit specialization, audit tenure, audit opinion and audit fees) on tax avoidance empirically. Testing this research has a fundamental essence, namely testing agency theory in the form of economic rational content in taxation so that it creates motivation to carry out tax avoidance. This research was conducted at companies that are members of the Jakarta Islamic Index (JII70) in 2021. The data is in the form of secondary data collected by documentation procedures. The total population of the study was 81 companies, the number of samples was 44 companies, and the sampling technique used was purposive sampling. To analyze the data using ordinary least squares. The results showed that two of the four hypotheses were accepted: audit specialization and audit fees significantly affected tax avoidance. However, audit tenure and audit opinion have no significant effect on tax avoidance. Observing the results of this hypothesis implies that in accordance with the rules of agency theory, economic rational strength creates tax avoidance motivation to defend the company's interests.</span></em></p>

Motivations underlining the “blame avoidance dilemma”: The effect on street-level bureaucrats during a crisis

When responding to crises, local government leaders may face a dilemma in which public interest goals are displaced by blame avoidance for the purpose of self-protection. Studies have proposed two conflicting motivations—public service motivation (PSM) and blame avoidance motivation—to explain the cause of the blame avoidance dilemma. However, it remains unclear under what conditions and how these two motivations affect risk decision-making. Using data collected through a discrete choice survey in 2017, this study finds that 1) both PSM and operating policies can drive local government leaders to eliminate the blame avoidance dilemma in crisis times and 2) operating policies negatively moderate the relationship between PSM and the risk decisions of local government leaders. The theoretical and policy implications of crisis management are also discussed.

The contextual goal dependent attentional flexibility (CoGoDAF) framework: A new approach to attention bias in depression

Successful adaptation to the environment requires attentional prioritization of emotional information relevant to the current situational demands. Accordingly, the presence of an attention bias (AB) for both positive and negative information may allow preferential processing of stimuli in line with the current situational goals. However, AB for negative information sometimes becomes maladaptive, being antithetical to the current adaptive needs and goals of an individual, such as in the case of affective disorders such as depression. Although difficulties in flexible shifting between emotional stimuli in depression have increasingly become a topic of discussion in the field, an integrative approach towards biased versus flexible emotional attentional processes remains absent. In the present paper, we advance a novel and integrative view of conceptualizing potentially aberrant affective attention patterns in depression as a function of the current contextual features. We propose that flexible emotional attention takes place as a result of attention prioritization towards goal-relevant emotional stimuli depending upon the current context of the individual. Specifically, the roles of context, distal and proximal goals, and approach and avoidance motivation processes are considered in a unified manner. The empirical, clinical, and interventional implications of this integrative framework provide a roadmap for future psychological and neurobiological experimental and translational research.

Approach and avoidance motivations in response to being envied at work and their effects on proactivity

AbstractThe goal of the present study is to provide a deeper analysis of the envy‐proactivity link. Drawing upon regulatory theories and Smith's model on envy appraisal, we theorize that when envied individuals focus on the potential negative impact of envy on themselves, they adopt avoidant coping strategies, which hinder proactivity, whereas concern toward others stimulates approach‐motivated coping strategies, which foster proactivity. Specifically, our model operationalizes a parallel mediating mechanism between perceptions of being envied and proactivity via the serial mediation of self‐oriented concern and distancing, and other‐oriented concern and courtesy. Results from a multi‐source survey confirm that being envied indirectly decreases proactivity via the serial mediation of self‐oriented concern and distancing, and indirectly increases proactivity via other‐oriented concern and courtesy.

Development and validation of hierarchically structured questionnaire of approach and avoidance motivation

Development and validation of hierarchically structured questionnaire of approach and avoidance motivation

Is the digital security act 2018 sufficient to avoid cyberbullying in Bangladesh? A quantitative study on young women from generation-z of Dhaka city

PurposeCyberbullying has yet to be thoroughly investigated from the perspective of Gen-Z women, and it is vital to determine how this law influences these young women to avoid cyberbullying. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to fill a knowledge vacuum by confirming the technology threat avoidance theory utilizing both adaptive (avoidance motivation) and maladaptive (wishful thinking) approaches. Design/methodology/approachTo gather data from Gen-Z women in Dhaka, we employed a purposive sampling strategy, which yielded 252 valid replies. After that, there were three steps to the evaluation: a measuring model, a structural model, and a mediation analysis. FindingsSeven out of ten hypotheses were found to be significant, with variances of 73.4% and 10.5% for avoidance motivation and wishful thinking, respectively. Furthermore, rather than having a direct influence on coping approaches, the perceived threat had an indirect effect through the mediation effect of perceived avoidability. Practical implicationsThis study takes into account Gen-Z women's motivation to be protected from cyberbullying, paving the way for the passage of the digital security act 2018. The data also reveal how to teach these young ladies about the threats of cyberbullying and how to defend themselves. Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to look at the factors that influence Gen-Z women's motivation to use the digital security act 2018 to address cyberbullying. In addition, wishful thinking has been newly included as an emotional coping strategy in this context, along with the present avoidance motivation of TTAT.

A Competitiveness-Based Theoretical Framework on the Psychology of Income Inequality

Social scientists have begun to extensively study how living in contexts with high income inequality affects psychological outcomes. Herein we overview a conceptual framework that integrates, organizes, and extends these complex (and sometimes contradictory) findings. First, we describe studies showing that income inequality breeds an ethos of competitiveness. Second, we argue that the inequality-competitiveness relation explains why income inequality (a) promotes status-focused behaviors aimed at lifting oneself up and/or bringing others down, (b) harms social relations when they pose an obstacle to one’s economic advancement, (c) exerts opposing effects on well-being via avoidance motivation (focusing on the risk of economic failure) and approach motivation (focusing on the prospect of economic success), and (d) represents a threat to those who perceive they do not have sufficient individual/contextual resources to cope with the demands of competition but a challenge to those with sufficient resources. We also discuss limitations and future directions for research.

Exposure to Immigrants Does Not Moderate the Relationship Between Disgust Sensitivity and Opposition to Immigration

Individuals who are more motivated to avoid pathogenic infection tend to be more opposed to immigrants. Explanations for this relation emphasize lack of familiarity, with people who are more unfamiliar with ethnic outgroups being more likely to perceive them as a possible infection risk and therefore oppose immigration. Exposure to immigrants can increase familiarity with outgroup members. This suggests that exposure to immigrants attenuates the relationship between pathogen avoidance motivation and opposition to immigration. We tested this prediction in four studies using country-level ethnic fractionalization and segregation (Study 1) and proportion of immigrants at the local neighborhood level (Studies 2–4) as indicators of exposure to immigrants. Results showed that intergroup exposure did not attenuate the relation between pathogen avoidance motivation and opposition to immigration. This suggests that long-term exposure to ethnic outgroups is insufficient to make them and their customs nonthreatening for those with strong worries about pathogenic threats.

Achievement motivation in civics courses at vocational grammar schools

This article examines achievement motivation in connection with the political knowledge of upper secondary level pupils at german vocational grammar schools. The influence of achievement motivation in civic courses has been scarcely researched so far. In the expectancy-value model, expectations of success are important determinants of action in relation to academic achievements. Pupils’ expectations of success or failure in civics courses have a behaviour-regulating function. They influence pupils’ behaviour when learning about politics. In the cross-sectional survey of 470 pupils, results show lasting effects from an approach motivation (“hope of success”) and an avoidance motivation (“fear of failure”) studied. The data of this study confirmed the influence of achievement motivation in civics courses on the school-related political knowledge. While cultural capital makes no significant difference in the extent of the motivational constructs, a migrant background showed moderate but inconsistent effects and gender had clear negative effects for the girls. In this study, it was shown that based on the theoretical foundation described, the theory of domain-specific competency can be combined with the achievement motivation in Civics.

Predicting the Learning Avoidance Motivation, Learning Commitment, and Silent Classroom Behavior of Chinese Vocational College Students Caused by Short Video Addiction.

As short video addiction has gradually become an emerging Internet behavioral addiction, its negative impacts on the student population have been noticed and cannot be ignored. Based on a literature review, this study referred to the person-process-content framework and drew on the ecosystem theory to define the relationship between short video addiction, learning avoidance motivation, learning commitment, and silent classroom behavior by using structural equation modeling. This study recruited 1000 participants from Chinese vocational colleges to fill out questionnaires. With an effective recovery rate of 94.6%, there were 946 effective study participants comprising 445 males (47%) and 501 females (53%). After it was confirmed that the data passed the reliability and validity tests, structural equation model analysis was carried out. The study results showed that short video addiction was positively correlated with learning avoidance motivation, but negatively correlated with learning commitment; on the other hand, study avoidance motivation was negatively correlated with learning commitment, but positively correlated with silent classroom behavior. Meanwhile, there was a negative correlation between learning commitment and silent classroom behavior. As a result, the negative correlation between short video addiction and learning behavior needs attention from parents and teachers.

Do Experimental Manipulations of Pathogen Avoidance Motivations Influence Conformity?

By conforming to ingroup norms, individuals coordinate with other group members, preserve cohesion, and avoid costs of exclusion. Previous experiments have shown that increased concerns about infectious disease increase conformity. However, coordination with other group members has multiple benefits, most of which exist independent of pathogenic infection. Hence, a strong causal effect of pathogen avoidance motivations on conformity seems unlikely. Results from five experiments (N = 1,931) showed only limited support for the hypothesis that experimentally increasing pathogen avoidance motivations influences conformity. Overall, our findings are not consistent with the notion that the human mind contains a fast-acting psychological mechanism that regulates conformity as a function of short-term pathogen avoidance motivations.

COVID-19 symptoms and compliance: The mediating role of fundamental social motives.

Understanding the compliance of infected individuals and the psychological process underlying compliance during pandemics is important for preventing and controlling the spread of pathogens. Our study investigated whether fundamental social motives mediate the relationship between having infectious disease and compliance. An online survey was conducted in March 2020, during the severe phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in China to collect data from 15,758 participants. The survey comprised self-report questionnaires with items pertaining to current symptoms (COVID-19 symptoms, other symptoms or no symptoms), the Fundamental Social Motive Inventory, and measures of compliance. Correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, and structural equation model were used for data analysis. The participants with COVID-19 symptoms had lower levels of compliance than those without symptoms, and their lower compliance was caused by a decrease in disease avoidance (indirect effect = -0.058, 95% CI = [-0.061, -0.056]) and familial motives (indirect effect = -0.113, 95% CI = [-0.116, -0.062]). Whereas exclusion concern (indirect effect = 0.014, 95% CI = [0.011, 0.017]) suppressed the effects of COVID-19 symptoms on compliance, the effect disappeared in the multiple mediation model, while those of disease avoidance and familial motives remained. Our findings emphasize the critical role of disease avoidance and familial motives in promoting compliance with public health norms during pandemics and suggest that enhancing these motives may serve as an effective intervention strategy to mitigate noncompliance among potentially infected individuals.

Associations between HIV disclosure and HIV care continuum outcomes among men who have sex with men living with HIV: systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT The objective of this study is to synthesize the existing empirical literature and perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the relationship between HIV disclosure and engagement in the HIV care continuum among men who have sex with men living with HIV. Twenty-three studies were included, with thirteen quantitative studies and ten qualitative studies. Meta-analytic techniques were used to compute and aggregate effect sizes (odds ratio [OR] and their confidence intervals [95%CI]) for the quantitative studies and a thematic analysis was employed for qualitative studies. Given the small number of eligible studies, meta-analysis was only conducted for the linkage to care outcome, where a positive association was observed from the pooled estimation (OR = 1.51, 95%CI [1.15, 1.99]). Regarding ART initiation, retention in care, and viral suppression outcomes, most of the individual studies revealed a positive association between HIV disclosure and these outcomes. Thematic analysis from qualitative studies complemented the quantitative findings by incorporating the approaching and avoidance motivations underlying the relationship between non-HIV disclosure and the participation in HIV care continuum. The small number of available studies limits the definitive conclusions, and more research is needed to ascertain the magnitude of effect sizes.

Burning Both Ends: Examining Overload, Trait Motivation, and Burnout Through the Person-Environment Interaction

Burnout has received substantial attention in academic literature and popular media due to its extensive breadth and detrimental impact on individual and organizational outcomes. To effectively address and combat the phenomenon, it is important to understand the boundary conditions in which burnout occurs and the individual and environmental interactions that predict burnout. In the current study, the relationships among burnout, overload, and trait motivation were investigated. Data were collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk from a sample of working professionals. Overload was negatively related to approach motivation and positively related to avoidance motivation and burnout. Approach motivation was negatively related to burnout, while avoidance motivation was positively related. A series of moderation models were tested to understand the interaction between trait motivation and overload in the relationship to burnout. The moderation results were not confirmed, but the main effects were significant. Understanding relevant boundary conditions and individual differences associated with motivation and burnout will equip organizational leaders and decision-makers to effectively combat the phenomenon and preserve employee well-being.