*19 Principles* by S. S. Tomkins

Referral is often made to the "19 Principles" of the affect operational system. These rest upon earlier sketches of the "Determinants of Affects" (S. S. Tomkins. 1962. AIG-I, Ch. 8, 248-258. New York: Springer.), repeated thus: "I would account for the differences in affect activiation by three general variants of a single principle--the density of neural firing or stimulation. By density, I mean the number of neural firings per unit of time. My theory posits three discrete classes of activators of affect, each of which further amplifies the sources that activate them. These are 'stimulation increase,' 'stimulation level,' 'and stimulation decrease.' Thus there is a provision for three distinct classes of motives; affects about stimulation that is on the increase, about stimulation that is level, and about stimulation that is on the decrease.

"With respect to density of neural firing or stimulation, then, every human being is equipped for affective arousal for every major contingency. If internal or external sources of neural firing suddenly increase, s/he will startle or become afraid, or become interested, depending upon the suddenness of the increase in stimulation. If internal or external sources of neural firing reach and maintain a high, constant level of stimulation, which deviates in excess of an optimal level of neural firing, s/he will respond with anger or distress, depending upon the level of stimulation. If internal or external sources of neural firing suddenly decrease, s/he will laugh or smile with enjoyment, depending upon the suddenness of the decrease in stimulation.

"The general advantage of a system that allows affective arousal to such a broad spectrum of levels (aned changes of level) of neural firing is to make the individual care about quite different states of affairs in different ways" (S. S. Tomkins. 1987. Shame. In "The Many Faces of Shame," ed. Donald Nathanson, 140-41. New York: Guilford.).

A concise, non-descriptive list of the "19 Principles" then follows (S. S. Tomkins. 1962. AIG-I, Ch. 9, 282-305. New York: Springer.).

1) "The first hypothesis concerns the relationship between negative affect and no affect. We postulate that the reduction of any negative affect is 'rewarding' whether or not it instigates positive affect (283).

2) "The reduction of any positive affect is 'punishing' whether or not it instigates negative affect. (284).

3) "The instigation of negative affect is generally more punishing than the sequence positive affect followed by neutral affect (hypothesis two, above). Exceptions to this depend upon the relative intensities and durations of the affects involved (284).

4) "The instigation of positive affect is generally more rewarding than the sequence negative affect followed by neutral affect (hypothesis one, above). Exceptions here also depend upon the relative intensities and durations of the affects involved (284).

5) "The reduction of the negative affect is a specific activator of the positive affect of joy, the intensity and duration of which is proportional to the duration of the prior negative affect, to the absolute magnitude of intrensity change and the time over which this change is made (284).

6) "The sudden interruption of positive affect is a specific activator of negative affect, of distress or aggression, the intensity and duration of which is proportional to the duration, intensity and gradient of interruption of the prior positive affect (286).

7) "The interruption and attenuation of excitement and/or joy by virtue of inner or outer constraints activate the shame responses, the lowering of eyelid, the lowering of the eyes, or the hanging of the head, and in the extreme case the lowering of shoulders and chest (287).

8) "The sudden reduction of aggression is the activator of joy (290).

9) "Startle reduction evokes a neutral state of no affect (290).

10) "The sudden reduction of intense, enduring fear, if complete, releases joy, but if incomplete releases excitement (290).

11) "The sudden reduction of intense enduring distress produces joy (292).

12) "Analogous to hypothesis ten, the complete, sudden reduction of intense, enduring shame activates joy; the incomplete sudden reduction of intense, enduring shame activates excitement (293).

13) "the instigation of maximum-intensity positive affect is antagonistic to the maintenance of maximum-intensity negative affect and the instigation of negative affect is similarly antagonistic to the maintenance of positive affect with respect to maximum intensity (294).

14) "If weak or moderate instigated positive affect does not reduce the intensity of ongoing intense negative affect, the intensity and duration of the negative affect will be increased to an intensity which will reduce the antagonistic response; and if weak or moderate instigated negative affect does not reduce the intensity of ongoing positive affect, the intensity and duration of the positive affect will be increased to an intensity which will reduce the antoagonistic response. This is a special case of the mechanism of 'induction'--if ongoing responses are not weakened by antagonistic responses, they are strengthened by them (295).

15) "All affects, with the exception of startle, are specific activators of themselves--the principle of 'contagion' (296).

16) "Distress which is unrelived and intense is a specifc activator of anger (298).

17) "The activation of affect generates an energy debt proportional to its duration and intensity (299).

18) "Low energy raises the threshold of positive affects and lowers the threshold of negative affects. High energy lowers the threshold of positive affects, and raises the threshold of negative affects (303).

19 "The activation of positive affect or negative affect is a necessary condition for the mobilization of energy reserves which support the behavior calculated to achieve positive and negative goals. In the absense of negative or positive affect, energy reserves cannot be mobilized and goal striving is thereby jeopardized" (304).

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