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What You Want (and Do Not Want) Affects What You See (and Do Not See): Avoidance Social Goals and Social Events

University of California, Los Angeles, astrach{at}ucla.edu

Shelly L. Gable

University of California, Los Angeles

Two studies examined the influence of approach and avoidance social goals on memory for and evaluation of ambiguous social information. Study 1 found that individual differences in avoidance social goals were associated with greater memory of negative information, negatively biased interpretation of ambiguous social cues, and a more pessimistic evaluation of social actors. Study 2 experimentally manipulated social goals and found that individuals high in avoidance social motivation remembered more negative information and expressed more dislike for a stranger in the avoidance condition than in the approach condition. Results suggest that avoidance social goals are associated with emphasizing potential threats when making sense of the social environment.

Key Words: approach motivation • avoidance motivation • social memory • social motivation

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