Sexual attraction modulates interpersonal distance and approach-avoidance movements towards virtual agents in males

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 4; p. e0231539
• Main Authors: Welsch, Robin, von Castell, Christoph, Rettenberger, Martin, Turner, Daniel, Hecht, Heiko, Fromberger, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 21.04.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Attraction; Attractiveness; Avoidance; Avoidance behavior; Avoidance Learning; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Experiments; Female; Humans; Influence; Inter-male aggression; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Males; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Motor Activity; Neurophysiology; Novels; Pelodiscus sinensis; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Psychological conflict; Psychological research; Psychology; Reaction Time; Reaction time task; Research and Analysis Methods; Sex; Sexual attraction; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Sexual identity; Sexual orientation; Social Behavior; Social distance; Social factors; Social interaction; Social Sciences; Spatial Behavior; Time; Velocity; Virtual environments; Virtual Reality; Visual Perception; Young Adult; United States; Germany

How does sexual attraction alter social interaction behavior? We examined the influence of sexual orientation on locomotor approach-avoidance behavior and interpersonal distance. We immersed androphilic and gynophilic male subjects into a virtual environment and presented various male and female vir...