My Affective Profile

Which emotions prevail within me in this period?

For decades, psychology assumed that positive and negative emotion sit at opposite ends of the same line: as one rises, the other falls. Research showed something different — they are two relatively independent dimensions. A person can experience both intensely, both faintly, or one more than the other. Combining high/low positive with high/low negative emotion yields four “affective profiles.” This model is widely used in the literature on the psychology of emotion and well-being. This particular questionnaire is original: it was written from scratch for this purpose, using experience-based statements rather than a list of adjectives, and it does not reproduce items or names from trademarked or licensed instruments. It is not a standardized psychometric test, but a tool for self-observation and psychoeducation. Instruction: “Think about the last two to four weeks. How often did each of the following apply? There are no right or wrong answers.”

These questionnaires are self-observation tools and are not a substitute for clinical diagnosis by a psychiatrist or another mental health professional.

Which emotions prevail within me in this period?

An original self-observation tool: positive and negative emotion are not two ends of one line, but two separate dimensions. Their combination yields four affective profiles. Answer the questions based on how you have been feeling over the last 2–4 weeks.

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During the day there are moments when I feel truly alive.

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