Why do people tend to affect? What does it depend on? From the life situation in which they find themselves, or temperament, character, inability to control themselves? Or maybe this is a manifestation of signs of poor personality education? Further in the article we will understand this, as well as the meaning, symptoms and causes of the named phenomenon.
Term Definition
An affective reaction is a bright, stormy action; emotional reaction in response to a particular impact; rapid change of mood; transition to a new state, different from the previous one. It is characterized by explosive experiences of the individual. Examples of affective reactions are sudden unbridled joy, anger, an attack of fear, and so on. At the same time, minor reasons can cause them.
Affects have a strong impact on a person, affect life, make adjustments to the psyche and often leave behind long-lasting affective traces,which tend to accumulate.
The mentioned state is characterized by the so-called narrowing of consciousness, as a result of which a brain stupor occurs and a person commits rash acts that have an emotional coloring. But the individual can learn to control his affective reactions.
Signs of an affective state
They can be divided into two conditional groups:
- Feelings. Expressed in a short loss of memory and self-control and a feeling of unreality of what is happening.
- Behaviour. This includes changes in facial expressions, appearance, speech and motor activity.
Experts in the field of criminal law are deeply involved in the study of this issue. It is here that there is an urgent need for a clear distinction between affect and other mental states, since it is characterized by impulsive behavior, sudden development and profound change in the psyche.
Types of affect
Emotional affective reactions are a response to biological or socially significant factors. They are short-lived, differ in greater intensity in comparison with emotional states. After a surge of violent emotions, a person returns to his usual state.
Extremely intense and pronounced emotional reaction is called affect. Both negative and positive experiences can intensify to the level of the latter, which subsequently result in a sharp demonstration of anger, fear, menace or glee, self-forgetfulness, joy, euphoria.
Pothe features of manifestations of the emotional reaction is divided as follows:
- Pathological affect. It is accompanied by a painful neuro-psychological overexcitation, the result of which is a complete clouding of consciousness and blocking of the will.
- Physiological. It is characterized by a sudden strong emotional excitement, which manifests itself in the temporary disorganization of consciousness.
- Anomalous affect. He occupies an intermediate position. If a person has an affect in a state of mild alcohol intoxication, he will belong to the second type, and in psychopathic personalities (that is, people who are characterized by rapid excitability, and the strength of manifestations does not correspond to the reason that causes them) - to the first. The affect is close to it, but does not belong entirely, because psychopathy is not a pathology of the whole personality, but only of its individual properties, for example, character, and plays the role of an extreme version of the norm of behavior.
Causes of affect
We have considered the types of affect, but what contributes to the emergence of emotional disorders? Psychosocial factors are the main reason. Prolonged negative and positive stresses contribute to the tension of the nervous system, which depletes the personality. This can provoke the formation of a depressive syndrome, which can cause:
- loss of a loved one or loved one;
- family conflicts and troubles;
- economic failure, etc.
Affective reactions can also be elicitedbiological and genetic factors. It is believed that this condition is caused by acute or chronic stress. For example, if a person has been under the influence of stress factors for a long time (bullying, humiliation), and he has a breakdown. In this situation, one ridiculous occasion with a reproach about a broken cup can provoke an affective reaction.
Types of affective reactions
The concept of "affective disorders" implies mental disorders (diseases) that are accompanied and manifested in mood disorders. They are divided into three groups:
- Depressive. Dysthymia. There is a depressed, oppressed state. Characterized by loss of interest, increased fatigue, decreased activity.
- Manic. This group is characterized by an elevated emotional state, hyperactivity and megalomania.
- Bipolar (manic-depressive). Cyclothymia. Illness with alternating bouts of depression and mania.
According to experts, the affective reaction can be stopped at the initial stage. At the peak moment of the release of emotions, it is almost impossible to control yourself. At this moment, a person has tremendous strength, which is not characteristic of a calm emotional state.
Phases
There are three stages of affect:
- Pre-affective phase. Characterized by a sense of hopelessness. The person focuses on the source of the problem. Emotional outbursts appear so unexpectedly that a person does not have time torespond to them, analyze and control them.
- Explosion stage. It is expressed by violent manifestations and motor activity. Emotions take over the mind and are expressed by explosive behavior. There is a partial loss of control over will and behavior.
- Post-affective phase. Comes after emotional calming down. The person is spiritually and physically devastated. Experiencing remorse, shame, regret, misunderstanding of what happened and drowsiness. May be accompanied by numbness and loss of consciousness. If the traumatic situation is resolved, there is a sense of relief.
It is very important to allow the body to recover after the final phase. This will be facilitated by he althy sleep, proper nutrition, exercise, social activity, meditation, etc.
How to determine the tendency to affective reactions?
Diagnosis of a person's mental state includes an examination by an endocrinologist and a neurologist, since affective symptoms may be the result of thyroid diseases, disorders of the nervous and mental systems. For each type of disorder, certain signs are characteristic.
Acute psychoses
We will talk about affective-shock reactions. Short-term mental states occur in critical situations, which are very significant for the individual. They are formed at the time of the appearance of a danger to life or in the conditions of unexpected adverse changes in public and personal life. May be expressed by motor lethargy, psychomotor agitation, oremotional stupor. They can last from several minutes to a day and end with asthenia (physical and mental impotence, exhaustion).
Affective-shock reactions do not belong to chronic mental illnesses. They can also appear in quite he althy people who find themselves in a critical situation with the highest psychological stress. Reactions block the ability of the nervous system to adapt through the formation of psychological defenses or through the processing and analysis of information. The likelihood of their development increases in the presence of character accentuation, borderline conditions, neuroses, etc. Treatment is carried out by psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists.
Affective kids
For the extreme degree of the already excited emotional state of the child, the slightest reason is enough. And already in the affect he can not control himself. Children who show a tendency to affective behavior are commonly called affective, hysterical or hysterical.
The manifestation of the state is facilitated by:
- Failures in the learning process.
- Disagreements with peers.
- Internal conflict between the level of requirements (based on an overestimation of self-esteem) and the level that is typical for him in reality.
- Tendency to affective forms of relationships and conflict resolution.
Often, stable states in children develop from painful experiences that have arisen due to the fact that they are supposedly not loved, not respected, underestimated, ridiculed, mocked. On the basis of which negative behavior patterns are formed. A student who constantly experiences resentment becomes angry, isolated, stubborn, rude, does not obey the requirements of the teacher, opposes himself to the whole class. He flares up at the slightest stimulus he doesn't like.
As a rule, in every class there are children with affective reactions. They are the most difficult to re-educate and require increased attention of the teacher. By the way, these children often begin to abuse the tendency to hysteria to achieve their goals.
Individuals with highly developed affective behavior cannot be taught in a regular class. But it is still possible to overcome affective behavior through a competent educational process. The teacher needs to focus on the positive qualities of the child, praise him.
Psychological characteristics
Affective behavior is demonstrated through stubbornness, pugnacity, fits of anger and rage. As a rule, such behavior patterns are formed as a result of poor relationships with peers or parents. They can be caused by a brewing family conflict or an overabundance of irritability of parents.
Such a child subtly feels the mood of others, easily deciphers the emotions of his parents. He is not afraid of fights with high school students, does not think about the consequences of his actions. Very vulnerable. Shows shyness, but at the same time can be intrusive. Cannot stand the noise, although he creates it himself. He is cowardly, distrustful, eagerly perceives information, but is afraid of the new and the unknown. And because ofimprudence and negligence often gets into bad situations.
In mentally retarded children, affective reactions are one of the predominant phenomena in behavior. And they exist along with aggression, psychomotor anxiety and increased reactivity.
Adolescent behavioral disorders
Adolescents, due to adverse developmental conditions, also have problems with adaptation in society in the form of acute affective reactions, neuroses, psychopathic disorders, etc. Due to strong emotional stress, a teenager loses self-control and is not able to make informed decisions.
Acute affective reactions are short-term (from several minutes to two days) emotional disorders that occur in a difficult situation. They appear as:
- suicidal tendencies;
- leaving home;
- violations of conduct;
- simulating illnesses, etc.
Acute affective reactions can also be demonstrative. The reason is resentment from loved ones, fear of punishment or exposure, etc. Showy activities are aimed at causing pity, regret, getting rid of troubles, establishing contact and maintaining good relations with relatives, for example.
Most often used as a demonstration is a threat to commit suicide or inventing a disease for oneself. Such persons are distinguished by behavioral disorders through drinking, theft, etc. These demonstrative affective reactions are characteristic of adolescents withhysterical personality type.
The main thing is to love your children, take an active part in their lives, take care, respect, help. Only in an emotionally he althy, strong, reliable family will a real personality grow up with a stable, well-formed psyche.
