Affect theory posits that emotions are not simply mental states, but rather embodied experiences that are felt in the body.

Silvan Tomkins is considered to be the founder of affect theory. His work on the nine basic emotions and their role in human behavior has been influential in the development of the field.

Affect theory distinguishes between affect and emotion. Affect is defined as a raw, unmediated bodily response to a stimulus, while emotion is a more complex, cognitive experience that involves interpretation and evaluation of the affect.

Affect theory challenges traditional notions of subjectivity by arguing that it is not a unified, coherent entity, that it is not autonomous, and that it is not rational.

Affect theory has been used to analyze literature in a variety of ways, including identifying the emotional content of literary texts, exploring the ways in which emotions are represented in literary texts, and understanding the role of emotions in the production and reception of literary texts.

A racing heart is an example of an affect, which is a raw, unmediated bodily response to a stimulus. Joy, sadness, and anger are examples of emotions, which are more complex, cognitive experiences that involve interpretation and evaluation of the affect.

A feeling of guilt is an example of an emotion, which is a more complex, cognitive experience that involves interpretation and evaluation of the affect. A smile, a frown, and a tear are examples of affects, which are raw, unmediated bodily responses to a stimulus.

Affect theory draws on insights from psychology and neuroscience to understand the biological and psychological basis of emotions, challenges the traditional distinctions between psychology and neuroscience, and has been used to develop new methods for studying emotions in psychology and neuroscience.

Affect theory has been criticized for being too focused on the body and neglecting the role of the mind in emotions, for being too pessimistic and not offering a positive vision of human experience, and for being too abstract and difficult to apply to real-world situations.

Affect theory has become an influential field of study because it offers a new and innovative way of thinking about emotions, has been used to shed light on a wide range of phenomena, and has inspired new directions of research in psychology, neuroscience, and other fields.