ABSTRACT

A person’s tendency to approach pleasant stimuli and to avoid unpleasant stimuli reflects a basic psychological phenomenon. The present research aimed to investigate the extent to which mindfulness practices and trait equanimity can attenuate this motivational process. In two studies, participants were asked to perform an Approach/Avoidance Task (AAT). In Study 1 (N = 84), prior to completing the AAT, participants were randomly assigned to one of two guided mindfulness-based meditation conditions (breathing or body-scan) or to an active control condition. In Study 2 (N = 71), which controlled for mindfulness practice, motor responses to the AAT were compared by level of equanimity of the participants (low vs. high). The results revealed that breathing meditation practice and trait equanimity significantly moderated participants’ motor responses to the AAT, and that the body-scan meditation did not moderate these responses. Bayesian analyses showed that participants in the breathing meditation group (Study 1) and those with higher equanimity (Study 2) showed a reduction of bias in their motor responses to the AAT. These results suggest that meditation practice and trait equanimity may promote a decrease in automatic motivational approach and avoidance tendencies evoked by positive and negative stimuli.

摘要

一个人接近愉快刺激和避免不愉快刺激的倾向反映了一种基本的心理现象。本研究旨在调查正念练习和特质平静在多大程度上可以减弱这种动机过程。在两项研究中，参与者被要求执行接近/回避任务 (AAT)。在研究 1 ( N  = 84) 中，在完成 AAT 之前，参与者被随机分配到两种基于引导的正念冥想条件之一（呼吸或身体扫描）或主动控制条件。在研究 2 ( N = 71），控制正念练习，根据参与者的平静程度（低与高）比较对 AAT 的运动反应。结果表明，呼吸冥想练习和特质平静显着缓和了参与者对 AAT 的运动反应，而身体扫描冥想并没有缓和这些反应。贝叶斯分析表明，呼吸冥想组的参与者（研究 1）和具有较高平静度的参与者（研究 2）表现出他们对 AAT 的运动反应的偏见减少。这些结果表明，冥想练习和特质平静可能会减少由积极和消极刺激引起的自动动机方法和回避倾向。