Misunderstanding Affect As "Constructing Emotion"

Martin & Rose (2007: 29-31):

First let’s look at positive and negative affect. More perhaps than any other family of genres, stories involve us in people’s feelings. We empathise and sympathise with characters as they take part in extraordinary events. …
This contrast between good and bad vibes is a basic one as far as emotions and attitudes in general are concerned.  Next well look at direct and implicit expressions of feelings. …
Taken out of context, from this unusual behaviour we know something is wrong but we can’t be quite so sure about the exact emotion being expressed; we need to use a bit of psychology perhaps. …
We can also note here the role that metaphor plays in constructing emotion.

Blogger Comments:

[1] This again misunderstands affect. Affect is not simply a matter of 'expressing feelings' or "constructing emotion". Affect is 'the characterisation of phenomena by reference to emotion' (as explained here).

[2] This again misunderstands affect. Affect is not a matter of experiencing the emotions of participants in texts.  Affect is a system of appraisal, a resource of the interpersonal metafunction.

[3] There is no "need to use a bit of psychology".  There is, however, a need to understand that affect is an interpersonal system, not an experiential one, and as such, is a resource whereby speakers (and writers) enact intersubjective relations.