Approach and Avoidance Orientations

To what extent do people try and enhance their close relationships or share many fun and meaningful experiences with their friends? To what extent do people try and stay away from situations that could harm their relationships or make sure nothing bad happens to their friendships? People have motivations or goals within their [Page 101]social relationships that are derived from two separate systems: Motives focused on movement toward desired, positive relationship outcomes represent the approach system; motives focused on movement away from undesirable, negative relationship outcomes represent the avoidance system. This entry describes approach and avoidance orientations and reviews current work applying it to motivation in social relationships. It also discusses implications for how people think, feel, and act in relationships.

The approach and avoidance distinction has been a fundamental aspect of psychological theory and has been prevalent in many domains of research. For instance, Ivan Pavlov's early work on conditioning noted the existence of one reflex oriented toward the stimulus while another reflex was oriented away from the stimulus. More recently, Jeffrey Gray posited distinct approach and avoidance motivational systems, which he referred to as the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS). BAS activates behavior in response to signals of reward and non-punishment, whereas BIS inhibits behavior in response to signals of punishment and nonreward.

There is also evidence to suggest these two motivational systems represent different underlying brain structures, providing a possible reason for its association with different emotions and behaviors. Specifically, the approach system is associated with more beneficial emotions and behaviors than the avoidance system. For example, BAS is associated with feelings of hope, and BIS is associated with feelings of anxiety. Other researchers have supported this BAS-positive emotions link by suggesting that the approach system is associated with a strong inclination to feel high positive emotions (elation, excitement) and low positive emotions (dull, sluggish). This research similarly supports a BIS-negative emotions link in that the avoidance system is associated with a strong inclination to feel high negative emotions (distress, fear) and low negative emotions (calm, relaxed).

Achievement motivation research has also distinguished approach focused motivation (performance-approach goals/need for achievement) from avoidance focused motivation (performance-avoidance goals/fear of failure). One motive is focused on the desire to outperform others and the feelings of pride that accompany that success, while the other is focused on the desire to avoid doing worse than others and the feelings of shame that accompany such failure. Avoidance motivation has been shown to produce negative performance outcomes. Students who fear doing worse than others tend to have low self-efficacy, experience high anxiety, possess low interest in tasks, and earn low course grades. Approach motivation, by comparison, reliably predicts high achievement in the classroom.