One More Time: “Affect” and “Effect”

Margie Wakeman WellsGeneral Leave a Comment

Putting aside the word affect as it is used in the psychiatric world to mean the “an observed emotional response” — …the flat affect of the patient… — the  statement “Affect is a verb; effect is a noun” just doesn’t quite cover it. Effect can be a verb. When it is, it means “bring about” or “make happen.” Substitute those words directly. If …

The Problem with “Affect” and “Effect”

Margie Wakeman WellsGeneral 2 Comments

We don’t need to worry about the word affect, when it is pronounced with the short a. First, there is no problem “hearing” the a and therefore getting the right word. It is the psychiatric term that refers to the outward manifestation of subjective feelings. Similarly, the word affectation is not a problem. He had a noticeably flat affect. It …