IOLANDA COSTA GALINHA (**)

LUIS PAIS-RIBEIRO (**)

RESUMO

O estudo do afecto e dos seus determinantes reveste-se de grande importância para os vários domínios da Psicologia. O estudo do afecto tem sido partilhado por vários campos da Psicologia e através de múltiplas perspectivas. Estas são algumas das razões pelas quais o conceito de afecto se tornou um constructo multifacetado, alvo de múltiplas definições e muitas vezes difícil de integrar.

O presente artigo procura clarificar o conceito de afecto, baseando-se nos trabalhos que desenvolveram uma integração das várias facetas do conceito. Esta integração foi conseguida pela identificação e articulação dos vários níveis de análise do constructo: o afecto estado (emoções); o humor (ansiedade e depressão); e o afecto traço (personalidade).

O artigo expõe os vários modelos do afecto e as discussões: bidimensionalidade versus multidimensionalidade do conceito afecto; e ortogonalidade (independência) versos bipolaridade (correlação inversa) entre o afecto negativo e o afecto positivo. A discussão sobre a estrutura e dimensionalidade do afecto mantém-se em aberto, no entanto, vários estudos recentes apontam algumas causas possíveis para a divergência nos resultados científicos.

Palavras-chave: Afecto positivo, afecto negativo, estrutura, dimensões e modelos do afecto.

ABSTRACT

The study of affect and its correlates has been given great importance by the various domains of Psychology. The study of affect has been shared by several fields of psychology and through multiple perspectives. These are some of the reasons why the concept of affect has became a multifaceted construct, subject of multiple definitions and sometimes difficult to integrate.

The article aims to clarify the concept of affect based on the literature revision of the works that developed an integration of the several facets of the concept. This integration was made through the identification and articulation of the several levels of analyse of the construct: the state affect (emotions); the humor (depression and anxiety); and trait affect (personality).

The article presents the several models of affect and the discussions: bi-dimensionality versus multidimensionality of the concept of affect; and orthogonality (independence) versus bipolarity (inverse correlation), between positive and negative affect. The discussion about the structure and dimensionality of affect is still open, however, several recent studies pointed out some of the possible causes for the divergence in the scientific results.

Key words: Positive affect, negative affect, models, structure and dimensions of affect.

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(*) Trabalho financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (BD /8336/ 2002).

(**) Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto.