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In psychology , affect is used to describe mood, especially a change in mood. However, while affect may describe mood, the two are completely different in meaning. Mood is a state of feeling (emotional), usually temporary, resulting from a specific stimulus. The word is derived from an ancient English word âmodâ which meant courage especially during war times.
Affect is a psychological term for an observable expression of emotion. A person's affect is the expression of emotion or feelings displayed to others through facial expressions, hand gestures, voice tone, and other emotional signs such as laughter or tears. Individual affect fluctuates according to emotional state.