Affect theory has been an interesting yet very difficult and complicated topic to research and I am only going to cover it very briefly, lest I get sidetracked!
There are many different writers on affect theory and many differing view points. The most notable of the writers on affect theory is Silvan Tomkins (it his him the theory is attributed to). My research for this topic has mostly come from a paper called A Primer of Affect Psychology by Vernon C Kelly, the paper is written with the purpose of introducing Tomkins work to the reader. The excerpt below is from Kelly's paper;
"There is no best place to begin any description of affect psychology. It would not be useful to start with a simple definition of “affect” because affect is best understood when seen in the overall context of its general purpose. However, before going there, it is good for you to know that an affect is a biological event, a normal part of the everyday functioning of our central nervous system (CNS). An affect is, in some respects, like a normal knee jerk reflex. If one applies the proper stimulus to the patella tendon—a tap with a small hammer—in just the right place with just the right amount of force, then the lower leg will jerk upwards. Similarly, if the proper stimulus is received in the CNS, an affect is triggered. How this takes place will become clear later on, but for now, please do not think of an affect as some kind of mysterious psychological event. It is not. It is simply a normal part of brain functioning that has evolved in our species for a specific purpose. Affects are so much a part of everyday life that you seldom think about them and often do not even recognise their presence."
No comments:
Post a Comment