Affekti

Affekti is a term used in several Scandinavian languages, notably Norwegian and Swedish, to denote the affective dimension of emotion in communication. It is related to the concept of affect and refers to the emotional coloring that accompanies speech and behavior, beyond the literal propositional content.

In linguistics and discourse studies, affekti encompasses nonverbal and vocal cues such as tone of voice, tempo, facial expression, posture, and other signals that convey attitudes, mood, or emotional stance. Researchers analyze how affekti modulates meaning, signals alignment or disagreement, and influences how a message is received or interpreted.

In psychology and sociology, affekti is treated as part of affect or emotion that operates in social interaction. It can be described in terms of valence (positive or negative) and arousal (calm or excited), and studied for its role in communication outcomes such as persuasion, cooperation, or conflict dynamics.

In literary and media studies, affekti is used to discuss the mood, atmosphere, or emotional coloring of discourse and scenes. Authors, filmmakers, and performers may employ stylistic devices to evoke specific affektive responses in audiences, shaping interpretation and engagement.

See also: Affect (emotion), Affect theory, Prosody, Nonverbal communication, Emotion.