Afekty

Afekty (sing. afekt; in English: affect) are the observable expressions of emotion and the present emotional responsiveness of a person, studied within psychology and psychiatry. They refer to what is outwardly shown—tone, facial expression, gestures, and vocal affect—rather than the person’s private feelings. Afekty are distinct from mood, which is a longer-lasting emotional state, and from subjective emotions themselves.

In clinical practice, afekty are evaluated as part of the mental status examination. They are described in terms of range (broad or full, constricted or restricted, blunted, flat), intensity, stability or lability (rapid shifts), and appropriateness to the situation. Congruence refers to whether the expressed affect matches what the person is saying; incongruence indicates a mismatch between affect and content.

Pathological afekty include flat or blunted affect (typical in severe depression or certain psychotic disorders), inappropriate affect (emotion that is inappropriate for the context), or labile affect (rapid, abrupt changes in emotion). An expansive or overly animated affect can be seen in manic or hypomanic states. The concept helps clinicians differentiate internal experience from external expression and to gauge the severity and type of a psychiatric condition.

The term afekt originates from Latin affectus and has been used in Polish medical and psychological literature for centuries. In everyday language as well as clinical settings, afekty describe the observable emotional surface of a person, forming a key component of diagnosing and understanding mental health conditions.