Social rewards represent a strong driving force behind decisions and behaviors. Previous research suggests that the processing of a reward depends on the initial state of the individual. However, empirical research in humans on the influence of motivational states on reward processing is scant, especially for rewards of social nature. In the present study, we aimed at investigating how aversive and appetitive motivation affects the processing of social rewards, such as interpersonal touch. Participants (n = 102) were assigned to an appetitive (positive) or aversive (negative) motivational state condition (via modified versions of the Trier Social Stress Test) or to a control condition. After the state induction, their a) self-reports of wanting and liking, b) effort, and c) hedonic facial reactions during anticipation and consumption of interpersonal touch, were measured. Participants in the aversive group showed higher subjective wanting of interpersonal touch, but no changes in subjective liking, compared to the control group. The aversive group also showed stronger positive hedonic facial reactions during reward anticipation, reflecting stronger anticipatory pleasure. No significant effects were found for the appetitive group. The results indicate that, after having been exposed to an aversive experience, the motivation to obtain interpersonal touch, as well as the associated anticipatory pleasure, increase, without a corresponding change in liking during or after its consumption. The findings point to differential state-dependent effects on the processing of social rewards, possibly due to the action of different neurobiological systems regulating reward anticipation and consumption.

社会奖励是决定和行为背后的强大动力。先前的研究表明，奖励的处理取决于个人的初始状态。但是，关于动机状态对奖励处理影响的经验研究很少，特别是对于社会性质的奖励。在本研究中，我们旨在调查厌恶和食欲动机如何影响社交奖励（例如人际交往）的处理。参与者（n = 102）被分配到一个积极的（积极的）或反感的（消极的）动机状态条件（通过特里尔社会压力测试的修改版）或一个控制条件。在状态感应之后，他们a）自我报告的渴望和喜欢，b）努力，c）测量了人际接触的预期和消耗过程中的享乐性面部反应。与对照组相比，厌恶组的参与者对人际交往的主观需求更高，但主观喜好没有变化。厌恶组在奖励预期期间也表现出较强的正享乐面部反应，反映了较强的预期愉悦感。没有发现对饮食组有明显影响。结果表明，在经历厌恶经历后，获得人际交往的动力以及相关的预期愉悦感会增加，而在其消费期间或之后，其喜好没有相应的变化。研究结果指出，在处理社会奖励方面，国家有不同的影响，