From a psychological and psychiatric point of view emotional sphere human being is not always controllable. One of the extreme, even borderline, manifestations human emotions is considered to be an experience of the state of affect. What are its main characteristics and features?

What it is?

The state of the psyche, short in time and significant in the strength of experiences, accompanied by sharp motor manifestations and physiological changes in the body is called affect».

This is one of the concepts in psychology that is a companion of critical situations for a person, when he is not able to find a way out of a subjectively difficult, unexpected situation.

The psychological structure of affect is such that the given emotional condition affects the sphere of the psyche in general, in particular, the human consciousness. The characteristic properties of affect for consciousness are very closely interconnected:

• constriction of consciousness - the surrounding situation is perceived only through the prism of affectively colored ideas and experiences, there is a decrease in the accuracy and completeness of the reflection of all events;
• fixation of consciousness - there is a fixation on an emotional stimulus, therefore the habitual behavior of a person changes (the ability to control one's actions and self-control are weakened).

Affect in the human body proceeds as a specific process that has its own stages:

• initial: includes conscious actions, but narrowing and fixing on the source of emotional and mental trauma;
• stage of overexcitation(explosion): active deceleration observed functionality brain activity, the center of emotions in the cerebral cortex is maximally activated - control over oneself is lost, not the situation itself is perceived, but ideas about it, as a result of which asocial actions are committed;
• decline stage(exhaustion): excessive internal stress is replaced by devastation (exhaustion nerve forces and energy), there is lethargy, unnatural relaxation, indifference to the deed (up to prostration) act.

Causes

The predisposition of the individual to affective reactions is determined by several factors:

1. Features of the nervous system . The course of nervous processes, from a physiological point of view, is different for each person. People with a weak nervous system ( nervous processes excitable) affective reactions are much more likely than those with a strong nervous system.
2. AT age characteristics . The periods of formation of character, personality in general - adolescence and youthfulness - are more unstable. Affect, as a reaction to traumatic events and experiences, is born here easily. Elderly age, due to the weakening of the nervous mental processes, is also more prone to the occurrence of a state of affect.
3. Short-term weakening of the body . Caused by fatigue, overexertion (physical, mental nature), pregnancy, prolonged or severe illness, etc. A person experiences an asthenic state characterized by fatigue (comes on faster than usual), unstable mood, a decrease in the quality of attention, memory and other properties of the psyche.

Most studies see the cause of affect as a consequence of being in certain conditions and situations, called affectogenic:

An extreme variant and example of the described emotional situations is murder committed in a state of passion(in order to protect oneself) - a criminal act committed at the peak of emotional and psychophysiological stress, as a reaction to violent or extremely offensive actions, bullying (humiliation).

Types and signs

The characteristic signs of affect include the following indicators:

• suddenness (the quality of the emotional-volitional state changes dramatically and is little controlled);
• features of occurrence (either suddenly, as a reaction to a significant traumatic experience, or as a consequence of long stay in a traumatic situation);
• lack of volitional regulation (the individual does not control his own actions, even with criminal acts).

Depending on whether a person has a healthy psyche or has a violation mental health, it is customary to divide affect into 2 large groups.

1. Physiological . It is a psychological understanding of affect in its “pure form”, when the psyche normal person reacts to an affective situation physiologically (with unrestrained motor behavioral manifestations) and psychologically (by temporary constriction and fixation of consciousness). There is a short-term emotional-volitional disturbance.
2. Pathological . This type of affect is characteristic of people with deviations in individual mental sphere. An affective reaction is observed against the background of the pathological soil of the psyche ( mental disorders and diseases of various kinds) we are talking even about the complete insanity of a person experiencing an affect.

Treatment and consequences

The mental state of a person experiencing an affect is associated with a significant load on the emotional-volitional sphere. It combines anxiety and depression at the same time.

primary affect (initial stage), if a person has a sane state, can be slowed down by switching attention from the traumatic factor.

If there is an insane state, mandatory procedure should be psychological and psychiatric care. On the background anxiety disorder and depression, it is the psychiatrist who will determine the appropriate treatment. Symptoms mental disorders should be "removed" both with medication - the appointment of antidepressants, and with the help of psychotherapeutic effects.

Consequences violent emotional manifestations during affect always become a decrease in the level of nervous energy and a decrease in the potential of nerve forces.

During psychotherapy it is important:

• to determine the features of the maladaptive behavior of a person with affect, leading to a deepening of symptoms;
• establish patterns of destructive (destructive) behavior that reduce adaptability to traumatic experiences.

During cognitive-behavioral therapy, a negative attitude towards reality and one's own personality should be switched to a positive one.

Understanding the features of the state of affect, its characteristics from the point of view of the course of mental processes will serve effective means its prevention or avoidance.

Video:

Affect as a psychological state

Mechanisms of affect

Signs of affect

Types of affect

Causes of affect

Phases and functions of affect

Affect characteristics

Affect as a psychological state.

S. L. Rubinshtein noted the peculiarities of mood in that it is not objective, but personal, and in that the most powerful emotional reaction is affect.

Affect(from Latin affectuctus - “mental excitement”) - a strong and relatively short-term emotional state associated with a sharp change in important life circumstances for the subject and accompanied by pronounced motor manifestations and a change in the functions of internal organs.

Affect is a very strong emotion; more often, affect is understood as a strong negative emotion. Affect can manifest itself both as a short-term violent reaction (for example, an outburst of anger), and as a long-term state (for example, an affective attitude towards a person, place, event, etc.).

Affect of inadequacy. It manifests itself in the form of affective behavior: increased resentment, stubbornness, negativism, isolation, lethargy, emotional instability. The affect of inadequacy is based on negative experiences that arise as a result of dissatisfaction with any vital human needs or conflict between them. Most often, they arise when a person’s claims are not satisfied in an area that is of significant importance to him, and the impossibility of satisfying claims is associated with a lack of sufficient abilities in a significant area. The level of claims of such a person is based, as a rule, on the existing inadequate self-esteem. This self-esteem has become habitual for him, and he cannot lower his level of aspiration without damaging his self-esteem.

Discrepancies between the level of claims and real possibilities lead to an unconscious internal conflict. To admit one's inadequacy means for a person to go against her need to maintain her usual self-esteem, which she does not want and cannot allow. From this arises an inadequate reaction of a person to his failure: he either rejects the very fact of failure, or gives him an absurd fantastic explanation. By no means wishing to allow anything into consciousness that could shake his self-esteem, a person seeks to explain his failure not by his own inadequacy, but by something else. As a result, an inadequate reaction occurs, which manifests itself in the form of affective behavior. In this case, the affective reaction acts as a protective one, allowing the individual, in case of failure, not to reduce self-esteem and the level of claims, i.e., an inadequate reaction makes it possible to prevent the thought of one’s own insolvency from entering the consciousness.

A high degree of emotional experiences specifically affects the nature of cognitive processes and the structure of the subject's consciousness. This influence leads to the phenomenon of narrowing of consciousness, which, in turn, makes the activity of the subject one-sided, inflexible. Psychology knows a number of emotional states characterized by high emotional stress. These include the state of physiological affect (strong emotional excitement), stress (mental tension) and frustration. The state of affect is characterized by brevity and explosive nature, which is usually accompanied by pronounced vegetative (for example, changes in complexion, eye expression, etc.) and motor manifestations.

The state of affect is formed in the subject very quickly and within a fraction of a second can reach its climax, it arises suddenly not only for others, but also for the subject himself. Usually the affect proceeds within a few tens of seconds. As already mentioned, it is characterized by high tension and intensity of the realization of the physical and psychological resources of a person. This explains why, in a state of passion, physically weak people knock down an oak door with a blow, inflict a large number of fatal bodily injuries, i.e., perform those actions that they were not capable of in a calm environment. The state of passion has a disorganizing effect on higher mental functions. As mentioned above, there is a narrowing of consciousness, which sharply reduces control over behavior in general. One of the consequences of an affective state is a partial loss of memory (amnesia) in relation to events that immediately preceded the affect and occurred during the affect.

Watching detective series, we often hear the expression "state of passion", and what it means and what its signs are known only to doctors and investigators. But mere mortals are also interested in what kind of state this is and why people who have broken the law are trying so hard to convince the investigation that they acted in a state of passion.

Affect is a state of strong emotional excitement that arose as a result of violence, bullying, severe insult or a long-term situation that had a traumatic effect on the human psyche. Depending on the type of affect, it can be a circumstance mitigating or completely excluding criminal liability, and it can also be recognized as an aggravating factor.

In any case, strong emotional excitement makes processes that are not associated with it slower. That is, a person concentrates his attention only on the object that caused his anger (despair, resentment), the rest of the person does not perceive at all or remembers some moments by pure chance.

Most often, the state of affect occurs in people who are unbalanced, with a weak character. Outwardly, this can manifest itself in a delay in movements or excessive activity. Also, a person may blush or turn pale, his speech will be intermittent, movements may be constrained or chaotic. In any case, the state of affect cannot fail to manifest itself in any way.

Psychology about the state of affect

In psychology, there are three types of affective states: pathological, physiological on pathological grounds, and physiological. Pathological affect- this is a painful short-term mental disorder, which is accompanied by impulsive actions, partial or complete loss of memory, deep clouding of consciousness. Often human actions are accompanied by incoherent speech and excessive gestures. This condition usually ends with general weakness, drowsiness or deep sleep. Pathological condition affect requires treatment, and therefore such people are not responsible for their actions and are recognized as insane.

Physiological affect on a pathological basis occurs in people who have psychical deviations(neurasthenics, psychopaths).

Physiological affect is considered as a strong emotional state that suddenly arises in response to stress, disorder. In this case, a person is aware of the actions performed, but cannot control them in any way.

Signs of a state of affect

by the most important features the states of affect are as follows:

The consequences of affect can be partial memory loss or complete amnesia.

Affect- an emotional reaction of a person to a stressful situation, which is characterized by short duration and intensity. During the experience of affect, emotions are so strong that a person partially or completely loses control over his behavior and is not completely oriented in what is happening. This happens when an insurmountable obstacle arises, there is a threat to life or a strong psychotraumatic situation.

Affect- this is a specific reaction to the strongest negative emotions (fear, anger, despair, rage), which change the functioning of the whole organism. Affect increases physical strength, makes internal organs work at the limit of their capabilities, but at the same time it inhibits intellectual activity and blocks the will. Therefore, it can be argued that in a state of passion, a person is guided by instincts, and not by intellect.

Since the affective state requires considerable effort, it cannot last long. The effect lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. An emotional explosion is followed by a feeling of devastation, sleep or loss of consciousness, which is caused by the depletion of the body's resources.

According to statistics, the prevalence of affects is 0.5-1% of the population. Affects in women occur 2-3 times more often than in men, which is associated with increased emotionality and hormonal fluctuations.

Affect state is inherent in mentally healthy people in emergency situations. However, frequent affects caused by little things can indicate mental illness, in particular schizophrenia. Prolonged affects, when new impressions do not lead out of this state, are characteristic of patients with epilepsy.

In psychiatry, the concept of affect has a slightly different meaning than in psychology. The very word "affect" means the experience of mood and its external manifestations. And the term "affective disorders" refers to a group mental illness associated with mood disorders. affective disorders are divided into three groups:

• Depressive - depression, dysthymia;
• Manic - classic mania, angry mania;
• Manic-depressive (bipolar) - bipolar disorder, cyclothymia.

This article will consider affect from the point of view of psychology.

Types of affect

What are the phases of affect?

There are three phases in the development of affect.

1. Pre-affective phase. It manifests itself as a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness of the situation. It fixes on the source of the problem. Emotional changes develop unexpectedly for the person himself, so he does not have time to analyze and control them.

2. Affective Explosion Phase- a stage manifested by a violent expression of emotions, motor activity, partial loss of control over one's own will and behavior. The expression of emotions is explosive. Emotion replaces the ability to plan, control actions and predict their outcome.

3. Post-affective phase comes after an emotional discharge. The processes of inhibition predominate in the nervous system. A person feels physical and emotional exhaustion. Other possible manifestations: devastation, repentance, shame, misunderstanding of what happened, drowsiness. Sometimes aimless flight, stupor, or loss of consciousness are possible. Emotional discharge can also cause a feeling of relief if the traumatic situation has been resolved.

What causes affect?

An effect occurs when critical situation caught a person by surprise and he does not see a way out of the crisis. Strong negative emotions dominate the mind, paralyzing it. Primal instincts take over. At this moment, a person subconsciously switches to the behavioral model of ancient ancestors - screams, trying to intimidate, rushes into a fight. However, if in our primitive people the affect was associated only with a threat to life, then in modern world This condition is often caused by social and internal reasons.

It is believed that the affect is caused by an unexpected critical situation - acute stress. But this is not always true, sometimes an emotional outburst is caused by chronic stress. It happens that a person long time was under the influence of stress factors (endured ridicule, unfair reproaches), but his patience came to an end. In this case, an affective state may be preceded by a rather insignificant event - a reproach, a broken cup.

Pay attention to an important detail: affect always occurs after the situation has occurred, and not in anticipation of it. This affect differs from fear and anxiety.

With the development of an affective state, it is important not only what causes the affect, but also what state the human psyche is in at the time of stress.

The likelihood of developing affect is increased by:

• Taking alcohol and drugs;
• Overwork;
• Somatic diseases;
• Lack of sleep;
• Starvation;
• Hormonal changes - endocrine disorders, premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy, menopause;
• Age factors - adolescence and youth;
• Consequences of hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming and other influences on the psyche.

Diseases that may be accompanied by affective states:

• Mental retardation;
• Infectious lesions of the brain - meningitis, encephalitis;
• Mental and neurological diseases- epilepsy, schizophrenia;
• concussions;
• Pathology of the amygdala, which is responsible for emotions;
• Damage to the hippocampus - the structure responsible for emotions and memory;

What are the behavioral signs of affect?

By behavioral signs, affect resembles hysteria, but its manifestations are more vivid and short-lived. Another one characteristic affect - suddenness. This condition develops very quickly and unexpectedly, even for the person experiencing it. For others, the affect becomes a complete surprise.

Psychological signs of affect:

Constriction of consciousness- one idea or emotion dominates in consciousness, which makes it impossible to perceive an adequate picture of the world. Attention is focused on the source of experiences.

Loss of sense of reality- It seems to a person that everything is not happening to him.

Lack of control over your behavior associated with a weakening of the will, as well as a violation of logical and critical thinking.

Fragmentation of perception- the environment is not perceived holistically. Separate emotions or fragments of the external world fall into the field of view. The situation is also perceived fragmentarily - a person hears only separate phrases.

Loss of ability to think critically and intellectually process the situation. A person ceases to weigh the pros and cons, to doubt and analyze what is happening. This deprives him of the opportunity to make the right decisions and foresee the consequences of his own actions.

Loss of ability to communicate. It is impossible to negotiate with a person. He hears speech, but does not perceive it, does not listen to arguments.

Disturbed orientation in space. A person does not notice objects and obstacles in his path.

Weakness. Emotional emptiness and physical weakness are characteristic of the final stage of affect. They indicate that the emotional outburst is over and the body is moving into a recovery phase.

Physical (bodily) signs of affect that are visible to others

• Furious, angry or confused facial expression. A person completely loses control over his facial expressions, which is manifested in grimaces.
• Cries, often involuntary, staccato. Sometimes accompanied by crying.
• Motor excitation - swiftness in movements, while coordination is often impaired.
• Stereotypical movements - a person can deliver the same type of blows.
• Nervous tic of the eye, corner of the mouth, twitching of the arm, leg.
• Numbness - a sharp decline mobility visible indifference. This reaction to stress can be an alternative to screaming and aggression.

Being in an affective state, a person performs actions that he would never have decided in another situation. For example, a mother, feeling threatened by her child, may knock down oak doors, or a physically weak person beats up several athletes attacking him. However, affect is not always a useful reaction. Under its influence, a person can injure himself, inflict severe injuries on the offender, or even commit murder.

What happens in the human body during affect?

From the point of view of neuroscientists, the cause of affect lies in the imbalance between the processes of excitation and inhibition that occur in the nervous system. Thus, affect is a short-term massive excitation of neurons that goes beyond the cortex into the subcortical structures, the amygdala and the hippocampus. After the “explosion” phase, the excitation processes fade away, giving way to massive inhibition processes.

The changes experienced by a person in an affective state are caused by a powerful release of adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones mobilize all the forces of the body for physical struggle.

Somatic changes with affect:

• Heart palpitations;
• Pressing pain in the chest;
• Raise blood pressure;
• Muscle tension;
• Redness of the skin of the face;
• Sweating of the face and palms;
• Trembling in the body;
• Decreased pain sensitivity;
• Weakness and a feeling of devastation - develop in the post-affective phase, when the processes of inhibition extend to the vegetative nervous system.

Changes occurring in the body can make a person abnormally strong and greatly accelerate his reaction, but this effect is short-lived.

What are the ways to respond to affect?

Ways of responding to affect depend on the characteristics of the nervous system, its state at the moment stressful situation, as well as life experience and personality attitudes. However, it is impossible to unambiguously predict how a person in a state of passion will behave. Uncharacteristic - this is the main feature that distinguishes a person in this state. So a quiet, well-mannered intellectual can show verbal and physical aggression, and a submissive wife, driven to passion, can kill her husband in the heat of a quarrel.

With affect, the following behaviors are possible

torpor- occurs when a strong emotion blocks all the functions of the body, depriving a person of the opportunity to act.

Verbal aggression- screams, insults, crying. The most common strategy of behavior in affect.

physical aggression. In the phase of affective outburst, a person enters into a fight. Moreover, any items at hand can be used, which can be very dangerous.

Killing in response to provocative actions. Moreover, the actions of the offender may not always be adequate to the affective reaction of a person. For example, murder in the heat of passion may be provoked by insults or threats rather than real danger for life.

Methods of dealing with affect

Choose effective method dealing with affect is quite a difficult task. The problem is that the affect develops unexpectedly, proceeds very briefly, and the person during this period has little control over what is happening to him.

Possible Methods struggle with affect

1. Affect Development Prevention. This approach is based on maintaining the balance of the nervous system.

• Compliance with the regime of work and rest;
• Alternating mental and physical activity;
• Full sleep;
• Prevention of overwork;
• Avoidance of negative emotions;
• Relaxation techniques - muscle relaxation, belly breathing, yoga, self-hypnosis.

2. Abstraction. Try to switch attention to another object. This method can be used in the pre-affective phase, when emotional tension builds up or after the affect, when a person is tormented by remorse for his own incontinence. Call the person by name, say that everything will be fine, that together you will find a way out.

3. Help from outside. A person who is in the phase of an affective "explosion" does not listen to the words of others and persuasion in this case is useless. Physical contact can work - hold the hand tightly or hug and hold until the person throws out emotions.

How to help yourself during an affect?

Ignore annoying factors . Don't let people or circumstances affect you. Mentally build a solid 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. Set yourself up to ignore stimuli.

Analyze your emotions call them. Be aware that in this moment you feel annoyed, and in this moment you feel anger. In this way, you will eliminate the factor of suddenness in the development of affect, which will help to interrupt it.

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

Control your expression. It is desirable that chewing muscles and the muscles around the eyes were relaxed. This will help keep control over actions and emotions.

Focus on all the details to see the full picture of what is happening. This will help to comprehensively analyze the situation, see the positive aspects and ways out of the crisis. If you feel that emotions are overwhelming you, try to focus on your breathing, start to study the small details of the surrounding objects, move your toes.

Focus on positive memories. Remember 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.

Feel no remorse. Affect is a natural reaction of a healthy human psyche. It is laid down by nature as a mechanism for the preservation of the species. In most situations, after the affect, it is enough to simply apologize for incontinence.

How to recover from affects?

In order to recover from affects, it is important to allow the nervous system to replenish wasted forces. To restore mental balance, a person needs rest and distractions.

What to do after the impact

Dream. It should be long enough, since periods of rapid and slow sleep are equally important for restoring the balance of the processes of excitation and inhibition in the cerebral cortex.

Complete nutrition . nervous tissue very sensitive to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, especially during periods of stress. Therefore, it is important to consume meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, which are a source of amino acids and B vitamins. The need for carbohydrates, necessary to replenish wasted energy reserves, is also increasing. This will help fruits, cereals, honey, dark chocolate. During the recovery period, avoid the consumption of alcohol and tonic drinks (coffee, tea).

Art therapy. Drawing, embroidery, modeling, any kind of creativity where fantasy is required, distract from what happened and help put thoughts and feelings in order.

Physical activity . Feasible physical labor at home or in the garden, walking, playing sports improve the state of the psyche. Muscle work normalizes blood circulation, accelerates the elimination of toxins, improves brain function.

Social activity . Hang out with positive people and try to be helpful to others. Help people who need your financial or moral support. Concentration on the problems of another person increases self-esteem, a sense of self-worth and self-confidence.

Meditation and autotraining. Regular exercise increases resistance to stress, strengthens the nervous system, and allows you to calmly respond to stimuli.

Physiotherapy procedures improve blood circulation and eliminate muscle spasms associated with nervous tension, render sedative action.

• baths with sea salt, brine, pine needles or lavender extract, oxygen baths;
• shower - warm, contrasting, circular;
• massages - general or cervicothoracic spine;
• magnetotherapy;
• electrosleep;
• darsonvalization of the collar zone;
• phototherapy

• mint or melissa tea;
• peony tincture;
• motherwort tincture;
• combined tincture of valerian, motherwort and hawthorn;
• Persen;
• Fitosedan;
• Novo-passit.

The best option would be to take a short vacation to completely change the situation and relax for a few days. Perhaps the body with the help of affect shows that you need a good rest.

With regard to criminal law, people who are poorly versed in law and forensic psychiatry tell different things about the state of passion. It is often argued, for example, that such a state can be simulated - then, they say, you won’t have to answer for the murder.

In fact, it's not like that at all. Affect is a state when a person, under the influence of extremely strong emotions, performs actions that are weakly amenable to conscious control (for example, commits violence against the one who aroused such emotions in him). Although such a reaction is absolutely normal (anyone, even the most calm and balanced person, can be brought to an affect), it cannot be simulated.

This state can be caused by any negative emotion(fear, despair, anger, etc.), but the affective state is reflected not only in the human psyche, but also in his bodily condition. As a result, a qualified medical examiner can easily detect physiological consequences(or lack thereof).

Types of affect

Medical specialists distinguish several varieties of affect:

1. Physiological. Here the affect arises in the mental healthy person under the influence of a situation that severely injures his psyche, causes moral or physical suffering. talking plain language, a person endures to a certain limit, and then “explodes”, while he is no longer able to control his actions. It is practically total absence self-control is an affect and is different from a simple fit of anger or rage. Although he who is in a state of passion practically does not perceive words, it is still possible to reason with him. At the same time, it is important to pay attention to the word “practically”: a person still has the remnants of control during affect, therefore he will be responsible for his actions according to the law.
2. Pathological. This effect occurs as one of the symptoms mental illness like a kind of attack.
3. Under the influence of PAS (psychoactive substances). These substances include drugs, alcohol, some other substances similar action. The reaction to intoxication, for example, is individual for everyone, but in practice, the alcoholic affect, in which the drunk does not understand what he is doing, is, unfortunately, quite common. Moreover, alcohol is one of the types of surfactants that provoke aggression. In historical terms, the behavior of the Scandinavian berserkers can be partly called affective. True, historians believe that their famous "fighting frenzy" was more of a simulation.

It should be noted that from the point of view of modern psychiatry, a person can have a physiological affect only once in a lifetime. This is a limiting (and even prohibitive) stress reaction, the probability of recurrence of which is practically equal to zero. The pathological affect can also be repeated if this is facilitated by the current disease.

Don't know your rights?

In addition, experts note intermediate options between physiological and pathological affects. So, in people who have suffered severe traumatic brain injury or infectious diseases, affecting the brain, with general sanity, conditions were sometimes noted that were not the usual physiological affect, but did not reach the depth of the pathological affect.

When does an affective state occur?

If we do not take into account cases when the sick or intoxicated fall into an affect, then such a condition may occur in a healthy person:

1. Suddenly, as a result of a very sharp but brief experience.
2. As a result of a prolonged situation that traumatizes the psyche, when some next circumstance, although insignificant in itself, becomes the last straw that triggers a state of passion. The situation that led to the affect can unfold over days, months, and even years. The latter is especially common when a murder in the heat of passion is committed on the basis of domestic violence.

Here, as never before, individual differences in human psyche: circumstances that one person hardly notices, another can be brought to passion and committing criminal acts. That is why the investigation of crimes committed in this state, in without fail requires the involvement of experts of the appropriate profile (psychologists, psychiatrists, etc.).

Significance of affect in criminal law

Criminal law singles out affect as a special sign of a crime in 2 cases:

1. If in this state the perpetrator committed murder.
2. If bodily harm is caused, relating to the category of serious or medium. Applied to slight harm the affect is not particularly distinguished and, from the point of view of the law, does not matter.

In both cases, the legislator emphasizes that the emotional excitement that led to the affect must arise under the influence of the victim. In the actions of the person affected in these cases, there must be a desire to intentionally insult, humiliate or commit violence. Accordingly, the victim of a crime in a state of passion can only be the one who brought the perpetrator to such a state. If outsiders have suffered, the offender's reference to an affective state is not taken into account and does not play a role in qualifying the crime.

It should be noted that for qualification under criminal law, the physiological affect that arose in a mentally healthy person is taken into account. The pathological affect of a mentally ill person is the subject of attention not so much of the investigation and judges as of psychiatrists. In this case, the person who committed the crime is not punished, but sent for compulsory treatment.

Internal signs of an affective state

From the side, affect can manifest itself in different ways, but there are a number of common points. They allow us to judge with certain certainty whether a person is already in this state or is on the verge of a breakdown.

From the point of view of the person himself, the signs of affect are:

1. Sensory disturbances. The state of affect can affect hearing (blood noise in the ears), vision (darkness in the eyes or, on the contrary, “white fire”, a hazy look), tactile and even pain sensitivity (a person receives wounds, cuts, burns, but does not respond to them ).
2. Change in skin color: sudden pallor or, conversely, redness of the face.
3. Sharply accelerated heartbeat. Those who have been in an affect often use expressions such as "the heart jumped out of the chest", "the pulse beat right in the throat."
4. Speech disorder. At the peak, a person may generally lose the ability to talk due to spasm of the muscles of the jaws and throat. If he nevertheless tries to utter something, the voice becomes characteristically “clashing”, suppressed.
5. Trembling of the limbs, sudden sweating or excessive dryness of the palms.
6. Upset stomach and intestines (diarrhea, constipation, nausea).
7. At the end - a sharp decline in strength, a decrease in tone, a feeling of deepest fatigue (even if there were no physically difficult actions). There were cases when, after a murder in a state of passion, the offender simply fell and fell asleep next to the victim.
8. Memory disturbances: a person may not remember at all or vaguely remember what he did while in an affect.

External signs

People around you can pay attention to the following behaviors:

1. In the first phase, when the affect has not yet begun, but the tension is growing, the person becomes fussy, makes erratic and uncoordinated movements.
2. He does not perceive well the speech addressed to him, hardly remembers information, loses flexibility in responding to the situation.
3. The main feature is the suddenness and explosive nature of the reaction. The affect lasts from tens of seconds to 2-3 minutes, no longer.

Doctors can also detect the effects of affect in the form of changes in the hormonal composition of the blood, changes in pulse, pressure, etc.

Is it possible to interrupt an affective state

A characteristic sign of affect is that it is not subject to volitional control on the part of the person himself. Thus, it can neither be called consciously nor canceled once it has already begun to unfold.

However, experts note that outside interference can interrupt the unfolding affect. More precisely, the psychological and physiological mechanisms will continue to operate, but in a more smoothed form, as a result, a person will be able to calm down without performing poorly controlled actions.