Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Attachment Styles

Attachment Styles

Jeffrey Simpson's attachment theory suggests that early caregiver relationships shape lasting patterns of behavior and emotional regulation, known as attachment styles. These patterns are organized along two key dimensions: self-esteem and interpersonal trust. The intersection of these dimensions produces four primary attachment styles that typically persist throughout life and significantly influence how individuals form and maintain relationships.Secure Attachment StyleIndividuals with a...

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...

Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles

Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles

Attachment theory, developed initially to explain infant–caregiver bonds, has been extended to illuminate patterns of intimacy in adult romantic relationships. Psychologists Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver proposed that the attachment styles observed in infancy form a framework for how individuals approach emotional closeness and conflict in adulthood. These attachment styles—secure, avoidant, and anxious—are linked to enduring patterns of behavior and emotional regulation in adult relationships.

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.

The Influence of Affect on Cognition

The Influence of Affect on Cognition

Positive affect significantly influences cognitive processes, including evaluation, memory, creativity, and social judgments. Compared to negative affect, positive emotional states promote more favorable interpretations of stimuli, cognitive flexibility, and heuristic processing. These effects highlight emotions' powerful role in shaping how individuals perceive, remember, and interact with the world.Influence on Evaluation and AttributionWhen individuals experience positive affect, they are...

The Influence of Cognition on Affect

The Influence of Cognition on Affect

Cognition plays a pivotal role in shaping emotional experiences, as demonstrated by Schachter and Singer’s two-factor theory of emotion. According to this model, emotion arises from a combination of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. The body’s physiological response to stimuli is ambiguous and only gains emotional significance through cognitive labeling. For instance, an increased heart rate and adrenaline surge while standing near an attractive person may be interpreted as...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Effect of managed transition on mental health outcomes for young people at the child-adult mental health service boundary: a randomised clinical trial.

Psychological medicine·2023

Same author

Demographic, clinical, and service-use characteristics related to the clinician's recommendation to transition from child to adult mental health services.

Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology·2022

Same author

Small for gestational age-cognitive performance from infancy to adulthood: an observational study.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2020

Same author

Protocol for the development and validation procedure of the managing the link and strengthening transition from child to adult mental health care (MILESTONE) suite of measures.

BMC pediatrics·2020

Same author

Correction to: Managing the link and strengthening transition from child to adult mental health Care in Europe (MILESTONE): background, rationale and methodology.

BMC psychiatry·2018

Same author

Managing the link and strengthening transition from child to adult mental health Care in Europe (MILESTONE): background, rationale and methodology.

BMC psychiatry·2018

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Published on: September 19, 2019

How is affective instability defined and measured? A systematic review.

S Marwaha¹, Z He¹, M Broome¹

¹Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School,University of Warwick,Coventry,UK.

Psychological Medicine

|October 1, 2013

Summary

Affective instability (AI) lacks a clear definition and consistent measurement in clinical research. This review proposes a definition and highlights the need for a new, validated AI assessment tool.

More Related Videos

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Published on: September 19, 2019

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Area of Science:

Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
Affective Science
Mental Health Research

Background:

Affective instability (AI) is a clinically significant but poorly defined construct.
Existing research lacks consensus on the precise definition and measurement of AI.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically review and analyze the definitions and measures of affective instability used in clinical populations.
To identify gaps in current understanding and propose a refined definition and assessment strategy for AI.

Main Methods:

A systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines was conducted.
Searches included major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, etc.) and hand searches of key journals.
Data from 37 selected empirical studies were narratively synthesized after quality appraisal.

Main Results:

Seven distinct definitions of AI were identified, alongside numerous related terms with overlapping features.
Twenty-four different measures were found, assessing facets like oscillation, intensity, regulation ability, and environmental triggers.
Significant overlap and lack of definitional clarity were observed across studies.

Conclusions:

A precise definition of AI is crucial for advancing clinical research and practice.
The proposed definition for AI is 'rapid oscillations of intense affect, with a difficulty in regulating these oscillations or their behavioural consequences'.
Current measures are insufficient; a combination is needed, alongside development of a new, validated short AI assessment tool.