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Affect

Psychological term often used for observable expression of feelings, but occasionally used for privately experienced emotions.

The expressions of emotion or feelings to others include facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and other signs of emotion such as laughter or tears. As a child grows and develops, environmental factors, such as peer pressure, and internal factors, such as self-consciousness, help to shape the affect.

What is considered a normal range of affect—display of emotion—varies from family to family, from situation to situation, and from culture to culture. Even within a culture, a wide variation in affective display can be considered normal. Certain individuals may gesture prolifically while talking, and display dramatic facial expressions in reaction to social situations or other stimuli. Others may show little outward response to social environments, expressing only a narrow range of affect to the outside world.

When psychologists describe abnormalities in a child's affect, they use specific terminology. The normal affect—which is different for each child and changes with each stage of childhood—is termed broad affect, to describe the range of expression of emotion that is considered typical. Persons with psychological disorders may display variations in their affect. A constricted affect refers to a mild restriction in the range or intensity of display of feelings; as the display of emotion becomes more severely limited, the term blunted affect may be applied. The absence of any exhibition of emotions is described as flat affect; in this case, the voice is monotone, the face is expressionless, and the body is immobile. Extreme variations in expressions of feelings is termed labile affect. When the outward display of emotion is inappropriate for the situation, such as laughter while describing pain or sadness, the affect is described as inappropriate. Labile affect, also called lability, is used to describe emotional instability or dramatic mood swings.

For Further Study

Books

Ablon, Steven. Human Feelings: Explorations in Affect Development and Meaning. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press, 1993.

Bull, Ray. The Social Psychology of Facial Appearance. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1988.

Emotions. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1994.

Moore, Bert S., and Alice M. Isen, eds. Affect and Social Behavior. New York: Cambridge University, 1990.

Tangney, June Price, and Kurt W. Fischer, eds. Self-Conscious Emotions: The Psychology of Shame, Guilt, Embarassment, and Pride. New York: Guilford Press, 1995.

Thayer, Robert E. The Origin of Everyday Moods: Managing Energy, Tension and Stress. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Demos, E. Virginia, ed. Exploring Affect: The Selected Writings of Silvan S. Tomkins. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.