ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on motor influences on affect and evaluation. Previous research has shown that the impact of facial, postural, and behavioral expressions on judgment and evaluation is experientially mediated. This research was inspired by the so-called “facial feedback theory,” which holds that feelings are not only a cause but also a consequence of specific motor programs. However, recent research suggests that motor programs can also influence affective processes without a mediating experience. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between two different routes of motor influences that serve different functions: a fast route that triggers either the approach or the avoidance system, and a slow route through which subjective experiences mediate motor influences on evaluative judgments. The following chapter describes the two routes of motor influences and discusses the implications of drawing a distinction between them.
