Resilience and Involuntary Processing of Valenced Stimuli: The Factor of Approach/Avoidance Orientation

In three studies we investigated how resilience, an adaptive response to a variety of stressors, is associated with individual differences in approach/avoidance orientation and with the processing of positively-valenced stimuli versus negatively-valenced stimuli. An “approach” orientation was positively associated with resilience whereas an “avoidance” orientation was negatively associated with resilience.