The expression of determination: Similarities between anger and approach-related positive affect.

Abstract

In this set of studies, we examine the perceptual similarities between emotions that share either a valence or a motivational direction. Determination is a positive approach-related emotion, whereas anger is a negative approach-related emotion. Thus, determination and anger share a motivational direction but are opposite in valence. An implemental mind-set has previously been shown to produce high-approachmotivated positive affect. Thus, in Study 1, participants were asked to freely report the strongest emotion they experienced during an implemental mind-set. The most common emotion reported was determination. On the basis of this result, we compared the facial expression of determination with that of anger. In Study 2, naive judges were asked to identify photographs of facial expressions intended to express determination, along with photographs intended to express basic emotions (joy, anger, sadness, fear, disgust, neutral). Correct identifications of intended determination expressions were correlated with misidentifications of the expressions as anger but not with misidentifications as any other emotion. This suggests that determination, a high-approach-motivated positive affect, is perceived as similar to anger. In Study 3, naive judges quantified the intensity of joy, anger, and determination expressed in photographs. The intensity of perceived determination was directly correlated with the intensity of perceived anger (a high-approach-motivated negative affect) and was inversely correlated with the intensity of perceived joy (a low-approach-motivated positive affect). These results demonstrate perceptual similarity between emotions that share a motivational direction but differ in valence.

Anger Makes You Feel Stronger: The Positive Influence of Trait Anger in a Real-Life Experiment

“…As expected, our fi ndings are consistent with the view on anger as a negative approachrelated emotion (Carver, 2004;Carver & Harmon-Jones, 2009a;Harmon-Jones, 2003Harmon-Jones et al, 2009;Harmon-Jones & Allen, 1998;Harmon-Jones et al, 2011;Harmon-Jones & Sigelman, 2001;Harmon-Jones et al, 2003;Harmon-Jones et al, 2004;Watson, 2009). Accordingly, anger is associated with positive activation and both are related with approach motivation.Notably, instead of neurophysiological correlates (Harmon-Jones, 2007;Harmon-Jones et al, 2004), we used cardiovascular variables on the physiological level to ensure the assessment of state anger.…”

How does reactivity to frustrative non-reward increase risk for externalizing symptoms?

“…determination) or antisocial (e.g. anger) states (Harmon-Jones, Schmeichel, Mennitt, & Harmon-Jones, 2011). Anger is considered a key factor in behaviors such as reactive aggression, which characterize several clinical conditions.…”

Using knowledge from human research to improve understanding of contest theory and contest dynamics

“…Indeed, recent research manipulating angry facial expressions on digitized human faces showed that participants rated the faces with manipulated anger faces as physically stronger [60]. People also have trouble differentiating the facial expression of determination from that of anger, which could further signal that an angry person is also determined to retain the contested resource [62]. Interestingly, humans are biased towards seeing anger in people with larger FWHRs [63].…”