Approach—Avoidance Motivation and Information Processing: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

Abstract

Much recent research suggests that North Americans more frequently experience approach motivations and East Asians more frequently experience avoidance motivations. The current research explores some cognitive implications of this cultural difference. North Americans should be more attentive to approach-oriented information, whereas East Asians should be more attentive to avoidance-oriented information. Three studies confirmed this hypothesis. When asked to recall information framed in either approach or avoidance terms, a predicted interaction between culture and information frame was observed (Study 1 and 2). Moreover, analyses of consumer book reviews found that among reviews that were rated as helpful, approach-focused content was more prevalent in American reviews compared to Japanese reviews, in which avoidance-focused content was more prevalent (Study 3). Findings from the current research add to the growing literature of cross-cultural research on approach-avoidance motivations.

A three-phase model of retirement decision making.

“…Higgins (1998) defined self-regulatory focus as the way in which individuals choose goals and motivate themselves to achieve those goals. Two distinct regulatory systems are generally discussed in self-regulatory focus theory: approach motivation and avoidance motivation (Gray, 1990), Individuals with approach motivation exhibit high vigilance for positive stimuli and strong behavioral tendencies to pursue positive stimuli (Hamamura, Meijer, Heine, Kamaya, & Hod, 2009). In contrast, avoidance motivation is a general sensitivity to negative stimuli in the environment and a strong behavioral tendency to avoid aversive stimuli (Elliot & Harackiewicz, 1996).…”

Immigrants’ social integration as a function of approach–avoidance orientation and problem-solving style

“…First, it is possible that our results vary as a function of cultural context. In particular, Western cultures are more likely to encourage approach motivation, whereas non Western cultures are more likely to encourage avoidance motivation (e.g., Hamamura, Meijer, Heine, Kamaya, & Hori, 2009). Consequently, the relations between approach, avoidance, problem-solving, and social integration may be different in non Western cultures.…”

Comparing the effect of gain-frame and loss-frame SMS on the knowledge and practice of mothers with children less than 6 years of age in the field of children oral health: A randomized controlled trial

“…In a group that did not receive message framing, which did not match their culture, the findings were similar to people who did not receive any messages 44 . on the contrary, Hamamura et al, found that Japanese students remembered more loss-frame information, while American students remembered more gain-frame information 45 .…”