Affectionate Communication in Close Relationships

Kory Floyd

Dec 2018 · Cambridge University Press

About this eBook

Few communication behaviors are more consequential to the development and maintenance of close relationships than the expression of affection. Indeed, people often use affectionate gestures to initiate or accelerate relationship development. In contrast, the absence of affection in established relationships frequently coincides with relational deterioration. This text explores the scientific research on affection exchange that has emerged from the disciplines of communication, social and clinical psychology, family studies, psychophysiology, sociology, nursing, and behavioral health. Specific points of focus include the individual and relational benefits - including health benefits - of affectionate behavior, the significant detriments associated with lacking sufficient affection, and the risks of expressing affection. It also discusses the primary social and cultural influences on affection exchange, critiques principal theories and measurement models, and offers suggestions for future empirical research.

About the author

Kory Floyd is Professor of Communication at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on the communication of affection in close relationships and its effects on stress and physiological functioning. He has written fifteen books and over 100 scientific papers and book chapters on the topics of affection, emotion, family communication, non-verbal behavior, and health. A former editor of Communication Monographs and the Journal of Family Communication, Floyd has won the Early Career Achievement award from the International Association for Relationship Research and the Charles H. Woolbert Award and the Bernard J. Brommel Award from the National Communication Association.