The literature on the approach/avoidance training (AAT) effect has focused on its evaluative consequences (with approached stimuli evaluated as more positive than avoided ones). Building on a grounded cognition framework, we investigated AAT effects on the visual representation of stimuli (here, neutral faces). We formulated specific predictions regarding the facial features that should be the most biased and the conditions under which the effect should be the strongest. We tested these predictions in five preregistered experiments using a reverse correlation paradigm. In Experiments 1-2, the facial representations resulting from an AAT looked more "approachable" and "avoidable," respectively. Specifically, we observed more bias on facial traits related to approach/avoidance (e.g., trustworthiness) than on traits less relevant for these actions (e.g., cleverness). Experiment 2 additionally tested the unique contribution of both approach and avoidance as compared to control actions. Experiments 3A-4 showed that this effect depends on experiencing the AAT (compared to the mere instructions of approach/avoidance) and on the sensory aspects of approach/avoidance that are mimicked in the AAT. Finally, Experiment 5 supported the idea that the AAT effect still emerges in the absence of explicit instructions of approach/avoidance (i.e., by only leaving the sensory aspects of approach/avoidance). The present research enriches the literature by revealing AAT effects that extend beyond mere evaluative consequences to the visual representation of the target stimuli. Our results also inform existing theoretical views on AAT effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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当我的行为塑造你的外表时：接近/回避的基于经验的特性会偏向他人的视觉表现。

关于接近/回避训练 (AAT) 效果的文献侧重于其评估结果（接近刺激被评估为比回避刺激更积极）。基于扎根的认知框架，我们研究了 AAT 对刺激（这里是中性面孔）的视觉表现的影响。我们制定了关于应该最有偏见的面部特征和效果应该最强的条件的具体预测。我们使用反向相关范式在五个预先注册的实验中测试了这些预测。在实验 1-2 中，AAT 产生的面部表征分别看起来更“可接近”和“可避免”。具体来说，我们观察到更多与接近/回避相关的面部特征的偏见（例如，可信度）而不是与这些行为不太相关的特征（例如，聪明）。与控制动作相比，实验 2 还测试了接近和回避的独特贡献。实验 3A-4 表明，这种效果取决于体验 AAT（与单纯的接近/回避指令相比）和在 AAT 中模仿的接近/回避的感官方面。最后，实验 5 支持了这样一种观点，即在没有明确的接近/回避指令（即，只留下接近/回避的感官方面）的情况下，AAT 效应仍然出现。本研究通过揭示 AAT 效应丰富了文献，这些效应超越了单纯的评估结果，扩展到目标刺激的视觉表示。我们的结果也为现有的关于 AAT 效应的理论观点提供了信息。