Differences among Feeling, Emotion, Affect, Affective, and Mood

Term	Definition
Feeling	The subjective, conscious experience of an emotional state; mental awareness of emotion.
Emotion	A complex interaction of subjective feelings, physiological responses, and behavioral expressions, usually triggered by significant external stimuli. Emotions are more intense but shorter-lived than moods.
Affect	An umbrella term for all emotional phenomena, both conscious and unconscious, including feelings, emotions, and moods. Often refers to the observable expression of emotion or the underlying emotional tone.
Affective	An adjective relating to affect; describes anything pertaining to emotions, moods, or feelings (e.g., affective states).
Mood	A relatively stable and long-lasting affective state. Moods are less intense, have no clear or immediate trigger, and can last from hours to years.

• Feeling: The conscious experience of emotion, focused on subjective awareness.
• Emotion: A complex, intense, and short-lived response to significant stimuli, involving physiological and behavioral changes.
• Affect: The broadest term, covering all emotional experiences and expressions, both conscious and unconscious.
• Affective: Describes anything related to affect or emotion.
• Mood: A diffuse, long-lasting emotional state without a specific trigger.