Valentine’s Day
The day of love and candy hearts is fast approaching; this week's review tackles how to keep affectionate communication alive in relationships
Posted on February 10, 2020
Affectionate communication in close relationships
Floyd, Kory. Cambridge, 2019
283p bibl index, 9781108470582 $110.00, 9781108587044 $88.00
Floyd (Univ. of Arizona) provides an indispensable resource for scholars and students of interpersonal, relational, and family communication (as well as psychology, social psychology, and related areas) through a comprehensive review of research on the complex, multifaceted phenomenon of affectionate communication in human relationships. This volume updates and expands the 2006 volume Communicating Affection: Interpersonal Behavior and Social Contexts, and covers theoretical approaches like the groundbreaking affection exchange theory and its contributions to this field. The author also delves into conceptual and operational definitions of affectionate communication and related constructs, and acknowledges the role of both evolutionary/biological and environmental factors in shaping affectionate communication. He furthers this analysis by also recognizing the association of these factors with multiple outcomes ranging from relational satisfaction to mental and physical well-being, as well as the potential harms stemming from communicating affection. This lucid, well-organized, engaging, and timely resource will set the agenda for affectionate communication in relationships for years to come. A final summary chapter offers a concise, insightful look back on what we know and still need to learn about affectionate communication, and points to future directions for research, including recent developments in technology.
Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.
Reviewer: J. H. Fritz, Duquesne University
Subject: Social & Behavioral Sciences – Psychology
Choice Issue: Feb 2020