Static, dynamic, and causative bipolarity of affect

In what sense are pleasant and unpleasant moods "bipolar"? One must differe ntiate three types of affective bipolarity: static bipolarity (the zero-ord er correlation between measures of pleasant and unpleasant affect, net of d istortions due to measurement error,tends to be strongly negative), dynamic bipolarity pleasant and unpleasant feelings generally change in opposite d irections and to approximately the same extent, and causative bipolarity (t he influence of pleasant and unpleasant affect on other variables is approx imately equal and opposite). It is argued that static bipolarity is often a ttenuated by measurement error. dynamic bipolarity can be masked by asymmet rical scaling artifacts, and causative bipolarity is often obscured by both . The experience and influence of pleasant and unpleasant affect may occur along bipolar lines even if the sources of these feelings are understood as physiologically separable systems with distinct neurological loci.