What comparison is insightful regarding the cumulative psychological load of negative affect?
Answer
The frequency of negative affect might be as burdensome as the intensity of a single instance.
Analyzing the total psychological impact requires looking beyond the peak level of any single emotion. Experiencing several minor instances of annoyance or irritation throughout a short period can accumulate a significant load on cognitive resources, potentially causing more fatigue and reduced patience than one isolated event of moderate unpleasantness. This constant, low-level activation prevents the cognitive system from returning to a truly neutral baseline, thus making subsequent complex tasks feel more demanding simply due to continuous background activation.
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