Science education researchers have found that instructional design focusing more on learners' affective needs can be powerful in nurturing effective and exciting science learning. This paper reports a qualitative study exploring how learners' situational affective experiences are influenced by the interplay of their habitual affective attributes and classroom learning environment. The research method adopted was semi-structured in-depth interview. The study is descriptive and retrospective in nature. Nine pre-service teachers who were taking a science method course at an Australian university took part in the study voluntarily. Each interview lasted about 1 h. Six types of interplay were identified: Self-sustained, Beyond expectation, Resonant, Adversely Overpowered, Below expectation and Irresponsive. Implications for science teaching and science teacher education are discussed in terms of the identified types of interplay.