The Circumplex Model of Emotion

The Circumplex Model of Emotion is a way to understand feelings based on two main axes: arousal and valence. Arousal measures how energized or subdued you feel, from calm to excited. Valence assesses whether your mood is positive or negative. Emotions are positioned around a circle, showing how different feelings relate—like happiness, which is high arousal and positive, or sadness, which is low arousal and negative. This model helps explain the variety and intensity of emotions, illustrating that feelings often blend and change along these dimensions.