View article

This article first reviews the main theoretical propositions of Gray's Reinforcer Sensitivity Theory (RST), Higgins' Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), and Elliot's Achievement Goal Theory (AGT), which all made a significant contribution to our understanding of goal directed behavior from an approach-avoidance perspective. Reviewing these three seminal theoretical frameworks helped us to uncover important areas of conceptual similarities related to overarching goals, trait and states distinctions, motivated behaviors, and approach or avoidance mechanisms. However, some noteworthy differences are also apparent, suggesting that these three theoretical perspectives might be more complementary than interchangeable. To better articulate this similarity, we proposed an integrated Approach-Avoidance Theory of Motivated Behavior. This integrative theoretical perspective first proposes a combination of key features of …