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Original Article

Men on the “Pull”

Automatic Approach-Avoidance Tendencies and Sexual Interest Behavior

Published Online:May 15, 2009https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335.40.2.73

Abstract

In the present study, we adapted and validated a measure of automatic approach-avoidance tendencies toward sexual stimuli in a male heterosexual sample (N = 29). As expected, automatic approach-avoidance tendencies, as measured via push and pull reactions in a joystick task, primarily predicted an unobtrusive measure of the time participants viewed erotic slides but not a more deliberate measure of forced-choice between an erotic and an art calendar. Conversely, participants’ explicit attitudes primarily predicted the forced-choice measure but not viewing time. Furthermore, automatic approach-avoidance tendencies discriminated reliably between those participants who were and those who were not currently engaged in a romantic relationship.

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