Approach versus withdrawal anger and reading processes

Previous literature has examined the relation between broad affective behaviors (e.g., positive or negative emotion) and reading comprehension. However, the inconsistencies and mixed findings in the literature (Beukeboom & Semin, 2006; Bohn-Gettler & Rapp, 2011; Scrimin & Mason, 2015; Storbeck & Clore, 2005; Smith et al., 2022) suggest that the relationship is more complex and should be investigated beyond the lens of broad affective valence. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to take a less broad, motivational direction approach to better understand its relation to reading. Specifically, approach- and withdrawal-oriented anger’s role in reading processes such as recall specificity, recall generality, reading ability and textbase comprehension were investigated. In contradiction to the proposed hypotheses, the results suggest that the relationship between recall specificity/generality and reading ability does not change depending on the motivational direction of the emotion induced. Moreover, the findings of the current study suggest that those experiencing neutral, approach-oriented, and withdrawal-oriented emotions likely do not differ significantly from one another in terms of recall specificity, generality, or emotionally charged words. Exploratory findings provide insightful results related to textbase comprehension, PANAS, and emotionally-charged language.