Benefits of Psychiatric Care

Definitions Of Affect, Feelings, Emotions, Mood

August 4

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  • Affect: Affect is a mental experience, which is triggered by a specific event and is expressed by a specific facial expression, and physical sensation. Affects can trigger memories, just as memories can trigger affect.
  • Feeling: Feeling is a mental state, when you are fully aware that an affect in you has been triggered, and you can describe it.
  • Emotion: Emotion is a blend of current feelings, thoughts, and memories, triggered by a current event.
  • Mood: Mood is a sustained state of emotion. It may suggest conflict that have not been resolved, or a biological illness.

Definitions Of Attitude And Demeanor

  • Attitude: Attitude is a preformed emotional mindset towards another person, object, institution or idea.
  • Demeanor: Demeanor is the attitude you have towards your own self.

Our Inborn Affects

(As defined by Silvan Tomkins, Ph.D, and Donald Nathanson, M.D.)

The face is the primary place where we see the display of affect. Below are descriptions of facial displays of the affects that are already programmed into us at birth.

The Positive Affects

  • Interest and Excitement
    (Eyebrows down, stare fixed or tracking an object)
  • Enjoyment and Joy
    (The smiling response, the look of contentment)

The Neutral Affect

  • Surprise and Startle
    (Eyebrows raised, eyes blinking)

The Negative Affects

  • Distress and Anguish
    (The crying response)
  • Fear and Terror
    (Eyes held open in a fixed stare, or looking to the side away from the source of fear, the skin pale, cold, sweating, and trembling, and the hair erect.)
  • Shame and Humiliation
    (Eyes and head lowered)
  • Anger and Rage
    (Frown, clenched jaw, red face)
  • Dissmell
    (The upper lip raised, nose pulled back)
  • Disgust
    (The lower lip lowered and protruded)
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