Verbal Descriptions of Cue Direction Affect Object Desirability.

ABSTRACT: Approach-avoidance behaviors are observed across a broad range of species. For humans, we tend move toward things we like, and away from things we dislike. Previous research tested whether repeatedly shifting visuo-spatial attention toward an object in response to eye gaze cues can increase liking for that object. Here, we tested whether a gaze-liking effect can occur for verbal descriptions of looking behavior without shifts of attention. Also, we tested the gaze specificity hypothesis - that the liking effect is specific to gaze cues - by comparing the effect of different types of cue (pointing gestures and arrow cues). In Experiment 1, participants (N = 205) were split into 5 groups according to the type of cue that was described as directed either toward or away from an object.

SUBMITTER: Tipples J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6421290 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature