Teoría de los Acontecimientos Afectivos: Revisión de su Impacto y Desarrollos en el Estudio del Afecto en las Organizaciones

Industrial and Organizational Psychology is now presenting much more interest in the study of affect at work. One of the most influential proposals in this regard is affective events theory (Weiss & Cropanzano, 1996). The theory explains how certain events, influenced by the environment, can cause affective responses that, in turn, determine behavior and attitudes in the workplace. We will review here the influence this theory has had. In searching PsycINFO®, 32 papers were found that have tested the theory. In the analysis of this scientific production we could infer: (a) the peak that the theory has had in recent years (especially, since 2008); (b) strong support of the relationships proposed by the theory, especially for the events-affect-attitudes chain, which represents precisely the core of the theory; and (c) the emergence of new elements (i.e., emotion-focused coping) that are enriching the original proposal.