Psychological characteristics of affect and its influence on the legal assessment of the infliction of grievous and moderate harm to health in a state of passion

Affect and affective disorder. Lecture by Yakovlev V.A.

Affect is strong emotional experiences that arise in critical conditions with the inability to find a way out of dangerous and unexpected situations and which are associated with pronounced motor and organic manifestations. Affects lead to inhibition of all other mental processes and the implementation of corresponding behavioral reactions. Affect occurs sharply, suddenly in the form of a flash, an impulse. In this case, the main characteristics of attention change and only those objects that are included in the complex of experience are retained in the field of perception. All other stimuli are not sufficiently realized, which is one of the reasons for the practical uncontrollability of this state.

History of affect

Historical reference. At the beginning of the 20th century, among the various “feelings”, affects began to stand out as an independent group. Affects were spoken of as emotional reactions aimed at defusing the emotional arousal that had arisen. According to Witwicki, affect is a sensory state that “acquires very significant strength and becomes a general violent disturbance of mental life.” He classified fear, horror, anger, etc. as affects. K. Stumpf, considering feelings a type of sensation, identified affects as a special type of mental phenomena. Gradually, the idea of ​​some independence of affect became established, and when classifying emotional phenomena, it began to be distinguished along with emotional tone, mood, and emotions themselves. In addition to other well-known signs of affects, A. N. Leontiev identifies one that, in his opinion, distinguishes them from emotions: affects arise in response to a situation that has already actually occurred and in this sense are, as it were, shifted towards the end of the event, while emotions anticipate events that have not yet occurred. Emotions and affect are also shared by A. Sh. Tkhostov and I. G. Kolymba. From their point of view, both of these emotional phenomena represent extreme points of a continuum, “defining the main differences. Then affect appears as an uncontrollable, often pointless experience that forms the natural basis of emotions.”

The significance of physiological affect for forensic psychiatric practice is determined by the concept of “strong mental agitation” contained in the Criminal Code of Ukraine. His statement reduces the sanction for the same crime by more than half. Hence the natural attention and interest in physiological affect among all participants in the process.

Meanwhile, the diagnosis of this phenomenon is one of the most difficult in expert practice. Retrospective diagnostics does not allow one of the main conditions of expert research to be ensured—its immediacy. No expert who has ever diagnosed physiological affect has observed it directly. Therefore, the diagnosis is established indirectly through the study of descriptions of the crime scene, the nature of the injuries and damage, the testimony of witnesses, if any, and most often through the reproduction of the incident by the accused himself. These circumstances are favorable conditions conducive to the simulation of physiological affect.

The lack of scientific research in the field of expert assessment of affective states, the lack of systematic ideas about these disorders blurs the boundaries of physiological affect, which psychologists traditionally deal with. Attempts are being made to form, within the framework of “strong emotional excitement,” a group of affective states that mitigate the subject’s responsibility by adding states of frustration and stress to the physiological affect. The emphasis in its diagnosis is often placed on psychological criteria (foreignness of the committed act for the individual, continuity of experience, senselessness of the crime, violation of the foresight of its probability, etc.), the specificity of which is very relative [1]. In a significant proportion of cases, this entails repeated examinations, especially when the issue of physiological affect is resolved outside of a comprehensive psychological and psychiatric examination.

It seems that the key circumstance in this problem is that physiological affect a priori belongs to the category of non-painful states. Meanwhile, the absence of any evidence in favor of such a classification of physiological affect raises serious doubts about its validity. Without discussing the differences between the concepts of “pathology” and “disease,” since this topic requires separate consideration, let us turn to the definitions of the concept.

Thus, affect is called “a rapidly and violently occurring emotional process of an explosive nature, which can provide a release in action that is not subject to conscious volitional control” [2]. According to another formulation, affects are “strong and relatively short-term emotional experiences, accompanied by pronounced motor and visceral manifestations [3]. The difference between the above definitions is only in the degree of expression of affect. In the first, the characteristic signs are more defined and include an indication of a violation of conscious volitional control of actions; in the second, there are no such indications. Taken together, these two definitions cover all types of affective reactions, including both types of affect itself: pathological and physiological.

Pathological affect, the most pronounced of them, arises suddenly in response to an unexpected psychogenic stimulus and is characterized by the inadequacy of the affective reaction to the cause that caused it, sharp psychomotor agitation, a twilight-type disorder of consciousness, a violation of motivation, automaticity of actions and a staged course [4–6]. There are no significant discrepancies in the literature regarding the clinical picture of pathological affect. Its careful study made it possible to distinguish various affective reactions from pathological affect, including physiological affect, which repeats the phases of pathological affect in its development [7]. It follows that the isolation of physiological affect went through its delimitation from pathological affect and, to a certain extent, as opposition to him.

Physiological affect is considered “as an emotional state that does not go beyond the norm; it is a short-term, rapidly and violently occurring emotional reaction of an explosive nature, accompanied by sharp, but not psychotic, changes in mental activity, including consciousness, expressed vegetative and motor manifestations... Physiological affect is a reaction that is extreme for the individual, arising in response to exceptional circumstances” [8]. The three-phase course of physiological affect is emphasized, the explosive nature of the affective reaction with the unexpected occurrence for the subject himself of a violent emotional outburst against the background of affective tension [8–10].

With physiological affect, a characteristic change in mental activity occurs in the form of fragmented perception, narrowing and concentration of consciousness on a psychotraumatic object, signs of impulsivity and stereotypies in actions, derealization of the environment, a sharp decrease in intellectual and volitional control of behavior with impaired ability to predict, characteristic vasovegetative manifestations and motor disorders , the special cruelty of aggression, its inconsistency in content and strength with respect to its occurrence [8, 11, 12]. The main criterion distinguishing between pathological and physiological affect is considered to be signs of a psychogenically caused twilight state of consciousness in the first and an affectively narrowed, but not psychotic state of consciousness in the second [6, 8].

Existing definitions of physiological affect make it possible to identify its characteristic features: a) extreme reaction for the individual; b) phasic course, close to pathological affect; c) objective and subjectively felt suddenness of occurrence (surprise for the subject); d) disorganization of consciousness (narrowing) with a violation of the integrity of perception, the ability to regulate one’s actions, and their well-known automation; e) discrepancy between the nature and result of these actions and the cause that caused them, i.e. their inadequacy; f) the connection between actions and affective experiences with a traumatic factor; g) sudden exit through mental exhaustion; h) partial amnesia of what happened.

We can agree with T. P. Pechernikova et al. [8] that the concept of physiological affect was introduced to distinguish this type of affect from pathological one. But the assertion that affect with the signs listed above is “normal” and “its physiological basis is formed by natural neurodynamic processes” [8] is questionable. In the given list of signs, it is enough to change two of them (narrowing of consciousness to stupefaction and partial amnesia to complete) in order to obtain a clinic of pathological affect that excludes the sanity of the subject. In this case, it turns out that all other signs are included in the scope of the concept of norm and cannot have diagnostic value. The fallacy of such an assumption is obvious.

The extreme nature of a reaction for a person lies in the fact that it is abnormal, unusual for him, exceptional, and practically never occurs again in the life of a given subject. It is perceived as such by the subject himself, which undoubtedly indicates its pathological nature. With physiological affect, disorganization of consciousness of reactive genesis occurs with a sharp limitation in the ability to control actions and their inadequacy to the situation. This indicates that the limit of the body's ability to adapt has been exceeded. Behavior acquires features of involuntary behavior and approaches one of the types of evolutionarily developed adaptive-defensive reactions—the fight reaction [13]. Such a unitary reaction, the unconditional reflex component of which is mainly motor excitation, is considered normal for the animal. But in a person such a reaction is evidence of pathology. According to M. S. Rogovin [14], “in the presence of pathology, internal, actually pathological laws begin to dominate in the patient’s psyche, overshadowing the normal function of regulating human actions in relation to the outside world.” This is exactly what is observed with physiological affect in the characteristic developmental stereotype and other signs.

If we turn to the section of psychiatry on acute reactive states [5, 15], then physiological affect fits well into the continuum of such states, arranged in intensity and depth as follows: affective reactions of mentally healthy individuals - physiological affect - pathological affect - acute reactive psychomotor agitation, up to the “motor storm”. It should be noted here that the second type of reaction is also known - the flight reaction, which should include, in addition to flight itself, sudden psychomotor retardation, characterized by varying depths and durations up to the development of a stuporous state. The forensic psychiatric significance of these reactions is different. They more often arise after the crime and are not related to the determination of the sanity or insanity of the subject.

From the point of view of the topic of this article, the most significant is the answer to the question: where in the indicated continuum of affective reactive states should the boundary be drawn separating normality and pathology? Until now, it has been drawn between physiological and pathological affect, separating psychosis from non-psychosis. This is evidenced by indications that pathological affect is qualitatively different from physiological affect due to the depth of the disorder of consciousness [6, 8]. But at the same time, what belongs to the category of non-psychosis is actually identified with the norm, although, as shown above, we are talking about a clearly pathological condition.

This approach, justified in somatic medicine, where one qualitative line is drawn between normality and pathology, turns out to be unacceptable in psychiatry. Unlike the somatic clinic, pathology in psychiatry, in turn, is also divided into two qualitatively different groups of disorders. As a result, the concept of mental state includes the concepts: mentally healthy - borderline, non-psychotic disorder - psychosis (general impairment of consciousness). With the current understanding of physiological affect as a manifestation of the norm, albeit in an extreme degree of severity, the place of borderline non-psychotic disorders in the group of acute affective reactions (states) appears vacant. There is, as it were, a leap between normality and psychosis, for which there is no adequate explanation in the cited sources. At the same time, less acute affective disorders (reactions) of much lesser severity, such as manifestations of psychopathy or a consequence of organic brain damage, are considered painful in this group.

Finally one more argument. Currently, the disease is defined as “life disrupted in its course by damage to the structure and function of the body under the influence of external and internal factors...” and is characterized by “a general or partial decrease in adaptability to the environment and restriction of the patient’s freedom of life” [16]. With physiological affect, there is a decrease in adaptability to the environment and a restriction of the patient’s freedom of life. Therefore, the most important thing in this case is to determine the function that is damaged in mental disorders. Such a function is the psyche as “a property of living, highly organized material bodies, which lies in their ability to reflect with their states the reality that surrounds them, existing independently of them...” [17]. Since animals also have a psyche, the main element characterizing the human psyche is consciousness. It is this category that determines the legal meaning of mental disorders. A qualitative violation of consciousness - a person’s loss of the ability to be aware of his actions and control them during the commission of a socially dangerous act, excludes the guilt of the subject and is the basis for the court to declare him insane. The preservation of this ability is a prerequisite for guilt and the basis for declaring a person sane.

But since borderline (non-psychotic) mental disorders are also covered by the above definition of the disease, then, consequently, in this case there is a disorder of consciousness, but not of a qualitative nature, as in psychosis, but of a quantitative nature, manifested to varying degrees by a limitation in the person’s ability to be aware of his or her actions and manage them while maintaining criticism, although not in full. A natural question arises: why, from the entire mass of mental disorders of a non-psychotic nature, did the legislator single out physiological affect as a mental state included in the scope of the legal concept of “strong mental agitation” and single out a special type of sudden intent - affected intent? Is it because this is a manifestation of the norm? Obviously not. Physiological affect significantly limits a person’s ability to be aware of their actions and control them, and this shows their painful nature [18]. Thus, physiological affect must be differentiated both from pathological affect and from affective reactions of a non-painful nature, which the legislator does not reasonably relate to circumstances affecting the degree of guilt and responsibility. The above signs of physiological affect are absent in affective reactions of a non-painful nature, which do not significantly affect the subject’s ability to consciously control his behavior.

The only possible conclusion from the above arguments is that physiological affect in its current understanding is a pathological state that belongs to the category of short-term disorders of mental activity of a non-psychotic nature. Physiological affect is so far the only legalized recognition of the problem of limited sanity, which is epistemologically related to the painful nature of changes in the psyche and consciousness, which are reflected in the criminogenic cause-and-effect chain. It follows that the diagnosis of physiological affect should be within the competence of a psychiatrist-expert. The task of the psychologist, while examining the accused, is to establish the presence or absence of such character and personality traits that may predispose to the emergence of physiological affect, or, on the contrary, prevent it.

Literature

1. Ritzel G. Forensisch-psychiatrische Beurteilung der Affekttat // Münchener Medizinische Wochenschrift. - 1980. - 122, No. 17. - S. 623–627.
2. Rubinstein S. L. Fundamentals of general psychology. - M., 1946. - P. 496.
3. Leontyev A. N. Needs, motives, emotions. - M., 1971. - P. 25.
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5. Felinskaya N.I. Reactive states in the forensic psychiatric clinic. - M., 1968. - 292 p.
6. Morozov G.V. Exceptional states / Forensic psychiatry: A guide for doctors. - M., 1988. - P. 340–353.
7. Dobrogaeva M. S. Pathomorphosis of exceptional states // Pathomorphosis of mental illnesses in the forensic psychiatric clinic: Collection of scientific papers. - M., 1985. - P. 51–59.
8. Pechernikova T. P., Guldan V. V., Ostrishko V. V. Peculiarities of expert assessment of affective reactions at the time of committing an offense in mentally healthy and psychopathic individuals: Methodological recommendations. - M., 1983. - 19 p.
9. Leontyev A. N. Activity. Consciousness. Personality. - M., 1975. - P. 200.
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11. Nor V. T., Kostitsky M. V. Forensic psychological examination in criminal proceedings. - Kyiv, 1985. - 54 p.
12. Kudryavtsev I. A. Forensic psychological and psychiatric examination. - M.: Legal literature, 1988. - P. 96–105.
13. Kolpakov V. G. Experimental genetic studies of pathological forms of behavior in animals // Genetic and evolutionary problems of psychiatry. - Novosibirsk, 1985. - P. 67–79.
14. Rogovin M. S. Scientific criteria for mental pathology. - Yaroslavl, 1981. - P. 39.
15. Gannushkin P.B. Selected works. - M., 1964. - 292 p.
16. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medical Terms. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1982. - T. 1. - P. 148.
17. Leontyev A. N. Problems of mental development. —3rd ed. - M., 1972. - P. 18.
18. Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR: Scientific and practical commentary / N. F. Antonov, M. I. Bazhanov, F. G. Burchak and others - Kyiv, 1987. - P. 28, 388.

Causes of affect

Among the causes of affect are:

• The emergence of circumstances that threaten a person’s physical existence, related to his biological instincts and needs.
• Conflict, contradiction between a person’s strong attraction, desire, desire for something and the objective impossibility of satisfying the urge that has arisen.
• Actions of others that affect a person’s self-esteem and traumatize his personality.

Affect arises in an already existing specific situation and serves for the subject as a unique form of exit from it, a release. In an affectogenic situation, a person must act and feels an irresistible need to do so, but does not find suitable methods of action. This contradiction is what causes the affect. If a person clearly sees the possibilities of adequate behavior, affect does not occur.

Individual psychological characteristics predisposing to the development of affective states are:

• A complex of innate properties of the nervous system (in people with a weak type of nervous system, which is characterized by mild excitability, increased sensitivity to stimuli, low resistance to strong stimuli).
• The specific structure of personality, in particular, the features of its self-esteem.
• Age characteristics of the subject.
• Temporary functional psychophysiological states that disrupt a person’s resistance to an affectogenic situation (fatigue, insomnia, menstrual periods in women, etc.).

Affect in criminal law

Signs of affect in criminal law are a loss of flexibility in thinking, a decrease in the quality of thought processes, leading to awareness of the immediate goals of one’s actions. A person's attention is focused on the source of irritation. For this reason, due to emotional stress, an individual loses the opportunity to choose a model of behavior, which provokes a sharp decrease in control over his actions. Such affective behavior violates the expediency, purposefulness, and sequence of actions.

Forensic psychiatry, as well as forensic psychology, relates the state of affect to the limiting ability of an individual to realize the actual nature, as well as the social danger of his act and the inability to control it.

Psychological affect has minimal freedom. A crime committed in a state of passion is considered by the court to be a mitigating circumstance if certain conditions are met.

The concepts of affect in criminal law and in psychology do not coincide. In psychology, there is no specificity of negative stimuli that provoke a state of affective reaction. There is a clear position in the Criminal Code that speaks about the circumstances that can cause this condition: bullying, violence, insult from the victim or a long-term psychologically traumatic situation, immoral and illegal actions of the victim.

In psychology, affect and strong emotional disturbance are not considered identical, and criminal law equates these concepts.

Affect, as a strong short-term emotional disturbance, forms in a person very quickly. This condition occurs suddenly for others and the person himself. Evidence of the presence of emotional excitement is the suddenness of its occurrence, which is an organic property. Strong emotional disturbance can be caused by the actions of the victim and requires establishing a connection between the affective reaction and the act of the victim. This condition must occur suddenly. The suddenness of its appearance is closely related to the emergence of the motive. The appearance of sudden, strong emotional disturbance is preceded by the following situations: bullying, violence, grave insult, immoral and illegal actions. In this case, the affective reaction occurs under the influence of a one-time event, as well as one that is significant for the culprit himself.

Types of affect

The following types of affect are distinguished:

• Classic affect. A rapid, violently occurring emotional reaction of an explosive nature. It lasts for an extremely short period of time, after which a decline occurs.
• Cumulative affect. The first phase of cumulative affect is usually very extended over time - from several months to several years. During this time, a psychotraumatic situation develops, which causes the cumulation (accumulation) of emotional stress. An affective explosion in itself can occur due to a minor reason, which plays the role of the “last straw”.

State of affect and its examples

Affective reactions have a negative impact on human activity and reduce the level of organization. In such a state, a person commits unreasonable actions. Extremely strong excitement is replaced by inhibition and, as a result, ends in fatigue, loss of strength, and stupor. Impaired consciousness leads to partial or complete amnesia. Despite the suddenness, emotional excitement has its own stages of development. At the beginning of an affective state, it is possible to stop mental emotional disturbance, but at the final stages, losing control, a person cannot stop on his own.

To delay the affective state, enormous volitional efforts are required to restrain oneself. In some cases, the affect of rage manifests itself in strong movements, violently and with shouts, in a furious facial expression. In other cases, examples of affective reactions include despair, confusion, and delight. In practice, there are cases when physically weak people, experiencing strong emotional disturbance, commit actions that they are incapable of in a calm environment.

Examples of a state of affect: a spouse unexpectedly returned from a business trip and personally discovered the fact of adultery; a frail man beats up several professional boxers in a state of affective reaction, or knocks down an oak door with one blow, or inflicts many mortal wounds; The drunken husband commits constant scandals, fights, and brawls due to alcohol consumption.

How to help yourself during the heat of the moment?

Ignore irritants. Don't let people or circumstances affect you. Mentally build a strong wall around yourself, within which you are safe.

Accept the inevitable. If you are unable to change the situation, then try to change your attitude towards it. Tune yourself to ignore irritants.

Analyze your emotions, name them. Realize that at this moment you feel irritation, and at this moment you feel anger. In this way, you will eliminate the factor of suddenness in the development of affect, which will help interrupt it.

Monitor your readiness for action. Be aware of what actions this emotion pushes you to do and what they can lead to.

Control your facial expression. It is advisable to keep the chewing muscles and the muscles around the eyes relaxed. This will help you maintain control over your actions and emotions.

Concentrate on all the details to see the full picture of what is happening. This will help to comprehensively analyze the situation, see positive aspects and ways out of the crisis. If you feel overwhelmed by emotions, try focusing on your breathing, start studying the small details of surrounding objects, and wiggling your toes.

Focus on positive memories

Think of a loved one whose opinion is important to you. Imagine how he would behave in this situation

Pray if you are a believer. Prayer calms and increases concentration, distracts from negative emotions.

Don't feel remorse. Affect is a natural reaction of a healthy human psyche. It is laid down by nature as a mechanism for preserving the species. In most situations, after passion, it is enough to simply apologize for incontinence.

Diagnosis and treatment

To make a correct diagnosis, you need to consult a doctor and also conduct a series of laboratory tests. They will help determine the presence of concomitant diseases that provoke the development of affect, identify disturbances in the functioning of the brain, as well as the nervous system.

As for the treatment of affect, it must be comprehensive. It usually includes medication and psychotherapy.

Drug therapy

The doctor prescribes medications from the benzodiazepine group. They help reduce the severity of symptoms of affect and survive the attack itself. But the reason will remain.

You can take medications only under the supervision of a doctor. Otherwise, the condition will only worsen. In addition, if used incorrectly, they cause addiction.

Psychotherapy

Working with psychologists and psychotherapists will help you cope with affects. It is carried out in 4 stages. The first is the search for an irritant, awareness of incorrect behavior, and introspection. The second is the analysis of situations that provoke the development of a state of affect. The third is drawing up an action plan for self-control. The psychologist proposes to introduce a system of fines for each deviation from this plan. And finally, the fourth stage is setting a goal that you must achieve.

Useful tips

If you consider yourself an overly sensitive and vulnerable person, and are also afraid that you will soon lose your temper, pay attention to strengthening your nervous system. To do this, use one of the effective methods to prevent the development of affects:

1. Regular exercise. You don't have to rush headlong to the nearest gym. Replace trips to the store with walking, take the stairs, get off the bus a couple of stops before your home.
2. Yoga. According to psychologists, it is very useful for frequent affective states. Smooth movements will help relax not only the body, but also the mind. Your blood circulation and breathing will also improve.
3. Relaxation. Gradually relax all parts of the body, starting from the head and working downwards. This will help you feel like you are in control of the situation. And control, in turn, will reduce the risk of developing a state of passion.
4. Massage. Like relaxation, it gives a sense of self-control and also helps relieve tension.
5. Reflexology. This is an acupressure massage, often combined with aromatherapy or hydrotherapy. Stimulating certain points of the human body allows you to relax all muscles and calm down.
6. Meditation. It helps to distract yourself, get rid of fear, and at least temporarily distance yourself from reality and irritating factors. You will find absolute peace and get rid of negative emotions. Do a simple exercise: you need to choose any word or phrase. Afterwards, in a sitting position, close your eyes and relax. Focus on your breathing, repeating the spoken word in rhythm with it as you exhale. Do this for 10-20 minutes and daily if possible.
7. Autogenic training. Essentially, this is the same self-hypnosis. Repeat that you do not have any problems, that there is no need to instantly react to the situation, that you urgently need to relax.
8. Color therapy. Everyone knows that colors have a certain influence on a person’s psyche and mood. For example, green is calming. Use it in your wardrobe and interior design.
9. Homeopathy. Controversial method of treating affective states. Therefore, it can only be carried out under the supervision of a specialist.

If there are no contraindications, you can strengthen the nervous system with the help of medicinal herbs. They will help you cope with uncontrollable behavior, improve your mood, and get rid of emotional stress.

Mint or ginseng tea effectively soothes. You can also add lemon balm to it or purchase ready-made soothing herbal infusions.

Herbal extracts and essential oils are added to the hot bath. Oils of lavender, sage, valerian, and lemon balm have proven themselves well.

References

1. Nathanson, Donald L. (1992), Shame and Pride: Affect, Sex, and the Birth of the Self (Chapter 2)
   , New York: W. W. Norton, ISBN 0-393-03097-0
2. Nathanson, Donald L. (March 15, 1998). "From compassion to community." Yearbook of Psychoanalysis
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   Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis. 25
   . Retrieved November 10, 2014.
3. Nathanson, Donald L. (1992), Shame and Pride: Affect, Sex, and the Birth of the Self
   , New York: W. W. Norton, ISBN 0-393-03097-0
4. Tomkins, Sylvan S. (1962), Affective Imaginary Consciousness: Positive Effects (Volume 1, Chapter 9)
   , New York: Springer, ISBN 0-8261-0442-8
5. ^ a b
   Nathanson, Donald L. (1997).
   “The Target Is the Image” (PDF). Bulletin of the Tomkins Institute
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6. Kelly, W.K. (1996), “Affect and the Redefinition of Intimacy,” in Nathanson, D. L. (ed.), Knowing Feelings: Affect, Script, and Psychotherapy
   , New York: W. W. Norton, pp. 55–104.
7. Tomkins, Sylvan S. (1991), Influences on Imaginary Consciousness: Anger and Fear (Volume 3)
   , New York: Springer, ISBN 0-8261-0543-2
8. McGraw, A.P.; and others. (August 31, 2012), “Too close to comfort, or too far to care? Finding humor in distant tragedies and near misfortunes", Psychological Science
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   (10): 1215–1223, doi:10.1177/0956797612443831, ISSN 1467-9280, PMID 22941877, S2CID 2480808
9. Seidner, Stanley S. (1991), Negative Arousal Reactions in Mexican and Puerto Rican Respondents
   , Washington, DC: ERIC
10. The Affect Theory Reader
    . Gregg, Melissa, 1978-, Seigworth, Gregory J., 1961-. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 2010 ISBN 9780822347583. OCLC 639574068.CS1 maint: others (link to website)
11. Catherall, Don R. (2007). Emotional safety: Looking at couples through the lens of affect
    . New York: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-95451-7
12. Kelly, Vernon S. (2012). The Art of Intimacy and the Hidden Challenge of Shame
    . Rockland, Maine: Maine Authors Publishing.
13. Leys, Ruth (2011). "The Turn to Influence: A Critique." Critical request
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14. Anable, Aubrey (2018). "Feeling History" Playing with Feelings: Video Games and Affect
    : 1–36. Doi:10.5749/j.ctt20mvgwg.4. ISBN 9781452956800. JSTOR 10.5649/j.ctt20mvgwg.4.

Critical theory

See also:
Affect (philosophy)

Affect theory is explored in philosophy, psychoanalytic theory, gender studies, and art theory. Eve Sedgwick and Lauren Berlant have been called "affect theorists" who write from a critical theory perspective. Many other critical theorists have relied heavily on affect theory, including Elizabeth Povinelli. Affect theory is based on Marxist autonomists including Franco Berardi, Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri. And according to Marxist feminists including Selma James and Silvia Federici, who consider the cognitive and material manifestations of certain gendered roles performed, including caring. Critical theorist Sarah Ahmed describes affect as "sticky" in her essay "Happy Objects" to explain the enduring connection between "ideas, values, and objects".[10]

Examples from life

In the article I have already given examples from life of the state of passion. The most striking example, perhaps, will be the case of betrayal, when the unfaithful partner was killed. But it is human nature to be in a state of passion. If it is physiological in nature, those around it may not notice it.

Experts have noted that an affective person becomes physically stronger as the condition develops. For example, the wife of a weak, skinny man was insulted by a professional boxer. A fight ensued, during which the husband of the offended woman inflicted serious injuries on the boxer.

In moments of danger, a person often falls into an affective state. For example, he can knock down an iron door with one blow if there is a fire in the apartment and his child is in the room.

Heroic deeds are often explained by a state of passion. A soldier can throw himself in front of bullets to save his comrade. A teenager throws himself from a height into an icy river to help a drowning man. The state of affect is confirmed by the words of the heroes that they do not remember how they committed this act and cannot explain why they did this.

Despite the fact that affect does not always pose a threat to others, the condition can be dangerous for the person who experiences it.

How to prevent

If you notice that you are about to explode and fall into an affective state, follow 3 simple steps:

1. By any means, distract yourself from the irritating factor. Concentrate on something else, like looking out the window.
2. Change your environment if possible. Let's say that during a quarrel with your husband you understand that a scandal cannot be avoided. Stop, breathe out, go outside. This way you can calm down.
3. Now you need to slow down your reactions. To do this, practice breathing techniques. Inhale and exhale deeply. Try counting your inhalations and exhalations.

If you cannot help yourself on your own, consult a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Criticism

Some scholars disagree with the claims and methodologies of affect theorists. Ruth Leys objected to the theory's influence on art and literary criticism, as well as its use in some forms of trauma theory.[13]Aubrey Anable also criticized affect theory for its imprecision, arguing that its "language of intensity, becoming and in-betweenness, and the emphasis on the unrepresentable gives it a maddening incoherence or too easily devolves into purely subjective reactions to the world.”[14]