Emerging demonstrations of the malleability of distance perception in affective situations require an organizing structure. These effects can be predicted by approach and avoidance orientation. Approach reduces perceptions of distance; avoidance exaggerates perceptions of distance. Moreover, hedonic valence, motivational intensity, and perceiver arousal cannot alone serve as organizing principles. Organizing the literature based on approach and avoidance can reconcile seeming inconsistent effects in the literature, and offers these motives as psychological mechanisms by which affective situations predict perceptions of distance. Moreover, (...) this perspective complements functional models of perception claiming perceptions of distance serve adaptive responding, and in so doing suggests why perceptions of distance respond to affective situations. This review contributes to the building of a broader theory of motivated distance perception. (shrink)

In response to comments, I repeat and further support the proposal that valence and arousal cannot serve as independent factors of motivated distance perception, but can be incorporated into the model as features of motivational direction. I articulate the importance of eliciting experiences to predict the direction of motivational direction, suggest additional ways to measure motivational direction, and direct the reader to extensive literatures that have illustrated conditions that give rise to approach and avoidance. Finally, I conjecture on how the (...) motivated distance perception model can be further developed. (shrink)

Although psychology has long professed that perception predicts action, the strength of the evidence supporting the statement depends on the ecological validity of the technologies and paradigms used, particularly those that track eye movements, supporting Cesario's argument. While right to call for ecological validity, Cesario's model fails to account for individual differences in visual experience perceivers have when presented with the same stimulus.