The peripersonal space (PPS), the space surrounding us, is found to have enhanced multisensory-motor representation in the brain. In this study, we investigate how approaching sounds stopping at different distances within the peripersonal space, and carrying emotional content (positive, negative, and neutral), modulate the preparation of action as performing a Step. Premotor reaction times were measured by means of anticipatory forces and muscular activations to capture action preparation, the kinematics of stepping was considered for defining action performance, and for each stimulus, the individual perceived level of arousal and valence was evaluated. In general, we found a prompter premotor reaction for closer sounds compared to the farther ones and the fastest reactions detected for the neutral sound at each distance. We interpreted this time facilitation for neutral sound due to the large frequency spectrum of the stimuli and the absence of affective component and semantical content to decode. Interestingly, while at the close distance, none difference was found between positive and negative emotional stimuli, at the far distance faster reactions were present for negative compared to the positive sounds indicating that when arousal is less enhanced individuals are able to differentiate the emotional content of a sound. The kinematics observed after action initiation sustained the anticipatory results by showing that larger steps were performed when reacting to close compared to far sounds, being perceived as more arousing, and this happened particularly for neutral and negative sounds. Altogether, the results showed that action preparation is influenced by the vicinity and by the valence carried by looming auditory stimuli. For discriminating the stimuli valence, a certain distance, still within the PPS, is necessary; when instead stimuli are too close to the body valence discrimination is not performed.

我们发现周围空间（PPS），即我们周围的空间，在大脑中具有增强的多感觉运动表征。在这项研究中，我们调查接近的声音如何在个人空间内的不同距离停止，并携带情感内容（积极、消极和中性），在执行步骤时调节动作准备。运动前反应时间通过预期力和肌肉激活来测量以捕获动作准备，考虑步进运动学来定义动作性能，并且对于每个刺激，评估个体感知的唤醒和效价水平。总的来说，我们发现与较远的声音相比，较近的声音有更迅速的运动前反应，并且在每个距离处检测到的中性声音的反应最快。由于刺激的大频谱以及缺乏情感成分和语义内容进行解码，我们将这次促进解释为中性声音。有趣的是，虽然在近距离，正面和负面情绪刺激之间没有发现差异，但在远距离，负面反应比正面声音更快，这表明当唤醒程度较低时，个体能够区分情绪的情绪内容一个声音。动作开始后观察到的运动学通过显示与远处的声音相比，在对接近的声音做出反应时执行了更大的步骤，被认为更能唤起人们的兴奋，这尤其发生在中性和消极声音中，从而维持了预期的结果。共，结果表明，动作准备受附近和隐约可见的听觉刺激所携带的效价的影响。为了区分刺激效价，必须在 PPS 范围内保持一定距离；相反，当刺激太接近身体时，不执行价态歧视。