POSITIVE AFFECTS
Interest - Excitement
Interest-excitement is activated as I wake up and look at my clock. The
stimulus triggering the affect interest now joins with it, further amplifying
the events that are already happening increasing the rate of brain activity. It
occurs regularly throughout these inter-linked scenes as I draw the curtains, go
downstairs, and begin to make coffee. After the brief distress and panic of
waking without the alarm, I consider and evaluate my position, my brain activity
increasing and processing the situation. After each negative emotion interest
returns as evaluation takes place and action is implemented.
Any increase in brain activity by any stimulus will trigger the affect of
Interest-Excitement. The stimulus may be obvious such as a sound, something
visual or a smell but it may also be impossible to discern externally such as a
recalled image or a need for food. 
The brow will furrow, the gaze becomes intent, rapt in attention, listening
and the eyes tracking. The stimulus may be regularly repeated events
such as getting out of bed, drawing the curtains or by a need to be satisfied
such as hunger or thirst. Tomkins argues that interest-excitement is always
stimulated by an increase in the density of neural firing. (i.e. The rate
at which is nervous system send signals to the brain.)
Enjoyment - Joy
In Morning Scenes I smile as I open the window and see the sun,
feeling pleasure and contentment. Again when I recognise my daughter's voice on
the telephone a brief smile indicates the affect Enjoyment-Joy before a negative
affect is triggered by her obvious distress. In my early-morning view of the
sunny morning, the trigger (the sun) joins with the Affect Enjoyment-Joy to
reduce my level of brain activity to produce contentment.
Enjoyment-Joy is always produced by a reduction in brain activity, in the
rate of neural firing. Such reduction in brain activity will produce a smile
with the lips widened up and out. A level of calm and contentment will ensue.
Any stimulus that produces a reduction in high-level activity will produce a
smiling face.
NEUTRAL AFFECT
Surprise - Startle
Still awakening and recovering from the bad night the telephone creates
surprise . Surprise has urgency and implies instant action.
The main purpose of surprise-startle is to clear away any other affects,
responses and ongoing activity in order to concentrate upon the cause of the
affect itself. (Tomkins 1962: 498).
Surprise-Startle is the briefest Affect. It arrives and is gone in a fraction
of the second. 
The facial expression is eyebrows up, eyes wide open, blink and mouth open.
There is often a rapid intake of breath followed by expiration when the lips may
be protruded, including a vocal exclamation such as "Oh" or even a
profanity! Tomkins originally considered it to be a positive affect but it is
now generally accepted as neutral (Nathanson 1992). Depending on earlier
experiences and memories it may be personally perceived as a positive or
negative affect, evoking a positive or negative response.
| 
