The influence of pre-training evaluative responses on approach-avoidance training outcomes

ABSTRACT

Approach-avoidance training (AAT) has been shown to be effective in both clinical and laboratory research. However, some studies have failed to show the effects of AAT. Therefore, finding moderators of the AAT effect is a priority for further research. We investigate the moderating effect of pre-training evaluative responses towards familiar AAT targets. In particular, we test predictions: (a) that congruent responses (i.e. approach to positive targets and avoidance of negative targets) increase liking, whereas incongruent responses decrease liking; (b) that training is more effective when it can strengthen existing positivity or negativity; and (c) that ambivalence increases AAT effects. Two experiments (total N = 132) implemented an AAT with local soft-drink brands after measuring initial positive/negative explicit evaluative components and implicit liking towards the brands. Results show no reliable evidence for training effects on consumption or rating of drinks, but participants showed more implicit liking of approached drinks than avoided drinks. Furthermore, the magnitude of implicit liking measured pre-training was positively related to the size of the training effect. Ambivalence had no direct effect on the training outcomes. These results partially support the congruency prediction and underline the importance of implicit liking prior to AAT as a moderator for AAT effects.

KEYWORDS:

• Approach-avoidance training
• attitudes
• preference
• consumption
• pre-existing preferences

Acknowledgements

We thank the research assistants who organised the experimental sessions and collected the data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding details

This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under [grant number ED 201/3-1] to AE. The DFG had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

ORCID

Anand Krishna http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3838-9210

Andreas B. Eder http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4722-5114

Notes

1 The correction reflects a total of six tests: interaction terms between AAT and two explicit evaluative components as well as one implicit liking measure, each tested over two dependent variables.