TOMKINS
Updated 36 days ago
Tomkins' idea of a stimulus density is that it can be cumulative. Looking back at all the things that were happening for me that day, Tomkins' model explains why watching a mildly emotional scene on TV could, on top of everything else, push me further above the line and bring tears of distress to my eyes. Later on, the tension generated by the car chase and the threat I could imagine to Police Officers like my friend might just have pushed the cumulative density higher again towards anger/rage...
When I observe myself or others acting in unexpected or unreasonable ways, I have found the stimulus density model of affect developed by Silvan Tomkins has helped me make sense of it all. It is simple and intuitive, but like all the best models it provides us with some powerful insights.