The relevance bias: Valence-specific, relevance-modulated performance in a two-choice detection task

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that relevance modulates subsequent non-emotional behaviour, using a personalised mental-imagery-cued relevance manipulation paradigm. Participants had to build positive, negative and neutral mental images based on personalised scenarios that had been selected during an earlier picture-cued imagery phase. Participants imagined situations that were highly relevant for them and situations that were moderately relevant for them, depending on the effects the situations could exert on them. After each mental image, the effect of the relevance manipulation was tested in a two-choice detection task. The interaction of relevance and valence was found to be predictive of the response times. Moreover, in the high-relevance condition, longer response times were observed for positive scenarios compared to negative ones, whereas in the low-relevance condition, shorter response times were observed for positive scenarios compared to negative ones. Results are consistent with the motivational theory of emotions, which posits that low-relevance stimuli trigger valence-specific attention modulations, whereas high-relevance stimuli trigger valence-specific action tendencies.

Keywords:

• Relevance
• Motivation
• Mental imagery
• Attention
• Emotion

Notes

¹ The relation between negative emotions and motivation is complex. Indeed, some negative emotions (e.g., anger) elicit approach tendencies as well as positive emotions do (see Carver & Harmon-Jones, 2009; Harmon-Jones, 2003). However, in the present paper we will only focus on negative emotions that trigger withdrawal tendencies, such as fear (see method section for more details).

² Google Image Search (www.google.com).

³ We thank an anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.