Affective vs. Effective — Differences and Examples
Affective vs. effective
Effective means something that produces an intended result. Affective means something that has been influenced by, is a result of, or expresses emotion. Affective and effective are derived from affect and effect. While affect and effect have verb and noun forms, affective and effective are only used as adjectives.
Differences between effective and affective
Though affective and effective are homophones, they have different meanings and uses: Below are some example sentences using effective and affective.
Affective:
Describes something that has been influenced by, is a result of, or expresses emotion
Comes from the noun affect, which means an emotional state
Used as a synonym for “emotional.”
Commonly used in the field of psychology to suggest something is influenced by feelings, mood, or emotions
Effective:
Describes something that produces a desired effect or outcome
Comes from the noun effect, which means result
Used more regularly in everyday language
Suggests something has successfully created the desired result
If something is described as effective, it is always meant positively
If the subject matter does not include feeling, emotions, or moods, effective is correct
Affective vs. effective examples
Here are five examples showing how to use affective in a sentence:
What are the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder?
Affective development is as important as physical development.
Research into affective behavior illustrates the role of fear.
Affective responses are not as easy to see as physical ones.
In psychology, affective science studies the functions of emotions.
Here are some example sentences using the word effective:
The team captain proved himself to be an effective.
The new law is effective.
The most effective way to lose weight is diet and exercise.
Advertising on television is much more effective than advertising on the radio.
The state-of-the-art computer graphics effectively made the dinosaurs look realistic.
