ABSTRACT

This paper brings together Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory and other perspectives on wellbeing to test predictions about dimensions of affect which are linked to approach motivation or avoidance motivation. Valence and activation are jointly conceptualised as either approach-affect or avoidance-affect through the diagonal axes of an affective circumplex. Across four studies in three different countries, predictions about Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory’s Behavioural Activation System, Behavioural Inhibition System and Fight-Flight-Freeze System are found to be supported. Correlations with external variables are shown to depend on a wellbeing measure’s emphasis on approach or avoidance, such that affect and external features which both emphasise motivation to approach or to avoid yield substantially larger intercorrelations than do non-concordant pairs. In addition, joining valence with activation is shown to yield correlational benefits as predicted. Implications of our perspective and operationalisation are reviewed, and specific research recommendations are made.

摘要

本文将强化敏感性理论和其他关于幸福感的观点结合起来，以检验与接近动机或回避动机相关的情感维度的预测。效价和激活通过情感环的对角轴共同概念化为接近-影响或回避-影响。在三个不同国家的四项研究中，发现强化敏感性理论的行为激活系统、行为抑制系统和战斗-飞行-冻结系统的预测得到支持。与外部变量的相关性取决于福利措施对接近或回避的重视程度，这样，既强调接近或避免动机的情感和外部特征产生的相互关系也比非一致对产生的相互关系大得多。此外，将化合价与激活结合起来可以产生预期的相关益处。审查了我们的观点和操作化的影响，并提出了具体的研究建议。