Affect Theory

I. POWERLESSNESS -- AFFECT -- STRESS CYCLES

THEORY:

AFFECT THEORY

SCRIPT THEORY

AFFECT, SCENE, SCRIPT

SCENE CONSTRUCTION

POWER/POWERLESSNESS

AFFECT/STRESS

AFFECT DYNAMICS OF POWERLESSNESS

TOOLS:

COLLECTING HAPPINESS

COLLECTING ADEQUACY/PRIDE

POWERLESSNESS SCENE

PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES

1. INCLUDE SPECIFIC THEORIES OF:

	PERSONALITY
	PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
	PSYCHOTHERAPY

2. GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY:

PRIMARY MOTIVES

ORGANIZING PRINCIPLES

CRITICAL DEVELOPMENTAL EVENTS

3. EMBEDDED IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES IS AN IDEOLOGY ABOUT:

NATURE OF THE HUMAN BEING

VISION OF OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT

INTERFACE BETWEEN HUMAN BEINGS AND THE UNIVERSE

INTERACTION BETWEEN:

                PSYCHE AND SOMA,
                MIND AND BODY,
                CONSCIOUSNESS AND BRAIN

WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD

4. EACH THEORY IS A SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OF INNER EXPERIENCE

5. VIEW OF THE SELF:

	DEVELOPMENT --------- CRUCIAL EVENTS
	MOTIVATION ------------ GOALS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY
	ORGANIZATION -------- WHAT SHAPES AND PATTERNS THE SELF
	CHANGE -------------------- PSYCHOTHERAPY

6. EXAMINING DIFFERENT PSYCHOLOGICAL LANGUAGES

CONCEPTS

DEFINITIONS

PHENOMENOLOGICAL/OBSERVABLE REFERENT

INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG CONCEPTS

DICTIONARY OF TRANSLATION

ORGANIZING PRINCIPLES

PSYCHOANALYTIC	LIBIDO; DRIVES
ADLERIAN	LIFESTYLE
JUNGIAN	ARCHETYPES
OBJECT-RELATIONS	RELATIONSHIPS
INTERPERSONAL	RELATIONSHIPS
BIOENERGETICS	BODY
RATIONAL-EMOTIVE	COGNITION
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL	COGNITION
FAMILY SYSTEMS	FAMILY
TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS	EGO STATES
EXISTENTIAL	FUTURE, PURPOSE
AFFECT THEORY	AFFECT
SCRIPT THEORY	SCENE; SCRIPT

AFFECT THEORY: MOTIVATIONAL SUB-SYSTEMS

AFFECT IS PRIMARY OVER ALL OTHER SUB-SYSTEMS WITHIN THE SELF:

	PERCEPTION
	IMAGERY
	COGNITION
	DECISION
	ACTION
	MEMORY
	DRIVES
	INTERPERSONAL NEEDS
	FUTURE PURPOSES

AFFECT AMPLIFIES EACH OF THESE SUB-SYSTEMS

AFFECT SYSTEM

Positive Affects
INTEREST--EXCITEMENT:	Eyebrows Down, Track, Look, Listen
ENJOYMENT--JOY:	Smile, Lips Widened Up and Out
Resetting Affect
SURPRISE--STARTLE:	Eyebrows Up, Eye Blink
Negative Affects
DISTRESS--ANGUISH:	Cry, Arched Eyebrows, Mouth Down, Tears, Rhythmic Sobbing
FEAR--TERROR:	Eyes Frozen Open, Pale, Cold, Sweaty, Facial Trembling, With Hair Erect
ANGER--RAGE:	Frown, Clenched Jaw, Red Face
SHAME--HUMILIATION:	Eyes Down, Head Down
DISSMELL:	Upper Lip Raised
DISGUST:	Lower Lip Lowered and Protruded

PRINCIPLES OF AFFECT THEORY

AFFECT IS THE PRIMARY INNATE BIOLOGICAL MOTIVATING MECHANISM

AFFECTS ARE CORRELATED SETS OF RESPONSES:

FACIAL, GLANDULAR, MUSCULAR

AFFECTS ARE TRIGGERED AT SUBCORTICAL CENTERS WHERE SPECIFIC AFFECT PROGRAMS ARE STORED

AFFECT SIMULTANEOUSLY CAPTURES THE FACE, HEART, AND ENDOCRINE GLANDS

WE EXPERIENCE AFFECT PRIMARILY ON THE FACE

AFFECT IS AN ANALOG AMPLIFIER, MEANING THAT AFFECT IS ANALOGOUS TO ITS ACTIVATING TRIGGER, JUST AS PAIN IS ANALOGOUS TO INJURY:

TERROR: HAIR STANDS ON END, SWEATING

ANGER: FACE REDDENS, BLOOD PRESSURE RISES

ENJOYMENT: BLOOD VESSELS DILATE, FACE BECOMES PLEASANTLY WARM, SMILING

AFFECT IS ANALOGOUS TO ITS ACTIVATING TRIGGER IN THE QUALITY OF FEELINGS FROM ITS SPECIFIC RECEPTORS:

ONE FORM OF AMPLIFICATION

AFFECT IS ANALOGOUS TO ITS ACTIVATING TRIGGER IN ITS PROFILE OF ACTIVATION, MAINTENANCE, AND DECAY:

SECOND FORM OF AMPLIFICATION

AFFECT AMPLIFIES AND EXTENDS THE DURATION AND IMPACT OF WHATEVER TRIGGERS IT, MAKING GOOD THINGS BETTER OR BAD THINGS WORSE:

AFFECT IS IMMEDIATELY ACTIVATED AND COASSEMBLED WITH ITS ACTIVATOR

AFFECT SIMULATES ITS ACTIVATOR IN HOW IT RESPONDS OVER TIME, IN ITS ACTIVATION PROFILE:

AFFECT ADDS A SPECIAL ANALOGIC QUALITY, SIMILAR TO ITS ACTIVATOR, WHICH IS EITHER REWARDING OR PUNISHING

AFFECT JOINS TOGETHER ITS OWN ACTIVATOR AND THE RESPONSE WHICH FOLLOWS INTO A COASSEMBLY:

ACTIVATING TRIGGER, AFFECT, AND RESPONSE

AFFECT AMPLIFIES BOTH AT ONCE -- ACTIVATOR AND RESPONSE -- BY IMPRINTING EACH WITH THE SAME AMPLIFICATION PATTERN

INTERCONNECTION OF ACTIVATING TRIGGER, AFFECT, AND RESPONSE IS NOT LEARNED

THEIR INTERCONNECTION ARISES FROM THE OVERLAP IN TIME OF THE PARTICULAR AFFECT WITH WHATEVER PRECEDES AND FOLLOWS IT

AFFECT FUNCTIONS TO AMPLIFY: ALL OTHER FACETS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING THE EVENTS WHICH ACTIVATE IT ALONG WITH ANY RESPONSES THAT FOLLOW

RESPONSES EVOKED BY AFFECT INCLUDE:

RETRIEVED MEMORIES

CONSTRUCTED THOUGHTS

MOTOR ACTIONS

PHYSIOLOGICAL DRIVES

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

AMPLIFICATION PATTERN EXERTED BY AFFECT:

EXCITEMENT: THOUGHTS RACE, PACE QUICKENS

FEAR: PACE OF THOUGHTS OR ACTIONS IS FASTER STILL

ENJOYMENT: PACE OF THOUGHTS OR ACTIONS SLOWS IN RELAXED CONTENTMENT

SHAME: EYES AND HEAD LOWER, RETREAT FROM HEIGHTENED VISIBILITY, URGE TO COVER, TO HIDE, TO DISAPPEAR FROM SIGHT

THE CENTRAL CONSTRUCTS

AFFECT:

AFFECT IS AN ANALOG AMPLIFIER

SCENE:

	THE SCENE IS THE BASIC ELEMENT IN LIFE AS IT IS LIVED
	SCENES INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE AFFECT AND ONE OBJECT OF THAT AFFECT
	PERCEPTION PARTITIONS SCENE INTO FIGURE AND GROUND

SCRIPT:

RULES FOR PREDICTING, INTERPRETING, RESPONDING TO, AND CONTROLLING A MAGNIFIED SET OF SCENES

SCENE CONSTRUCTION AND REACTIVATION

LANGUAGE

AFFECT IMAGERY

THE POWER -- POWERLESSNESS CONTINUUM

POWER

POWERLESSNESS

POWER AND POWERLESSNESS ACTIVATE AFFECT

POWER IS AN ACTIVATOR OF POSITIVE AFFECT:

	EXCITEMENT
	ENJOYMENT
	SURPRISE

POWERLESSNESS IS AN ACTIVATOR OF NEGATIVE AFFECT:

ANGER

FEAR

DISTRESS

SHAME

DISSMELL

DISGUST

CONTEMPT (BLEND)

DEPRESSION (BLEND)

POWER, POWERLESSNESS, AND AFFECT

POWER POWERLESSNESS		EXCITEMENT ENJOYMENT SURPRISE
POWER POWERLESSNESS		ANGER FEAR DISTRESS SHAME DISSMELL DISGUST CONTEMPT (BLEND) DEPRESSION (BLEND)

SECURITY AREAS

Security Areas Require the Experience of Sufficient Power, Defined by the Need to Predict and Control:

	RELATIONSHIPS/FAMILY
	HEALTH/BODY
	HOME
	LIFE ROLE
	CAREER/WORK
	FUTURE SCENES OF PURPOSE
	IDENTITY
	AGING

POWERLESSNESS -- AFFECT -- STRESS CYCLE

POWERLESSNESS

SECURITY AREAS:

RELATIONSHIPS/FAMILY
HEALTH/BODY
HOME
LIFE ROLE
CAREER/WORK
FUTURE SCENES OF PURPOSE
IDENTITY
AGING

NEGATIVE AFFECTS:

ANGER

   RAGE, VIOLENCE

FEAR (Anxiety, Terror)
PANIC, WORRYING

DISTRESS
CRYING

SHAME (Inferiority)
WITHDRAWAL

DISGUST
REJECTION

CONTEMPT (Anger & Dissmell)
SUPERIORITY

SHAME AND DISTRESS
DEPRESSION

FEAR AND DISTRESS
CLINGING

SUPPRESSION

BACKED-UP AFFECT

ENDOCRINE CHANGES

STRESS

CONSEQUENCES OF AFFECT DYNAMICS:

Violence
Suicide
Psychosomatic Illness
Abuse
Addiction

AFFECT DYNAMICS OF POWERLESSNESS

UNEMPLOYED AUTO WORKERS	FAMILY FARMERS	PERSONS WITH AIDS	MINORITIES
SECURITY AREAS:
WORK/CAREER FAMILY HOME	IDENTITY FUTURE SCENES WORK/CAREER	HEALTH WORK/CAREER FAMILY FRIENDS HOME	IDENTITY WORK/CAREER FAMILY FRIENDS HOME
AFFECTS:
RAGE SHAME DISTRESS FEAR	RAGE SHAME DISTRESS FEAR	TERROR SHAME RAGE DISTRESS	SHAME FEAR RAGE DISTRESS

PRINCIPLES FOR REGAINING POWER:

1. IDENTIFYING ALTERNATIVE CHOICES FOR COPING DIFFERENTLY WITH SITUATION

2. CONSCIOUS REGULATION AND RELEASE OF AFFECT:

STORING POSITIVE AFFECT

LETTING GO OF NEGATIVE AFFECT

INTERPLAY AMONG

LIVING CONSCIOUSLY, CHOICE, AND POWER

POWER

CHOICE LIVING CONSCIOUSLY

SELF-ESTEEM

DEFINITION:	PRODUCED BY:
ESTEEM FOR SELF VALUING OF SELF PRIDE IN SELF	ENJOYMENT AND/OR EXCITEMENT ABOUT SELF AND/OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

HIGH SELF-ESTEEM RESULTS FROM:	LOW SELF-ESTEEM RESULTS FROM:
PERSONAL POWER PRIDE IN SELF	POWERLESSNESS SHAME

SELF-ESTEEM TOOLS

COLLECTING HAPPINESS:

FIVE EVENTS THAT PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE

COLLECTING ADEQUACY/PRIDE:

FIVE EVENTS THAT LEAVE YOU FEELING PROUD OF YOURSELF

FIVE KEY STEPS IN THE PROCESS:

	EXPERIENCE THE EVENT CONSCIOUSLY
	EXPERIENCE THE FEELINGS CONSCIOUSLY
	STORE IT INTERNALLY AS A SCENE
	WRITE IT DOWN IN A DAILY JOURNAL
	LATER RECALL IT AND RELIVE IT