Darkside of Affectionate Communication

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The Darkside of Expressing Affectionate Communication Deepa Patel University of Kentucky The Darkside of Expressing Affectionate Communication Affection is love or a fond attachment for something or someone. Being affectionate is a way of showing that you care about someone, and is an important part of keeping a relationship strong and loving. Affection builds one’s self esteem and is a way to express love for one another. In an article written by Larry A. Erbert and Kory Floyd, (2004) affectionate communication is defined as the intentional display of intense positive regard for a living target. Despite the many benefits of affectionate communication, which is desired by many, it can also produce not just positive outcomes but negative ones as well. In an article, Affectionate Communication is Good, Except When it Isn’t: On the Dark Side of Expressing Affection, written by Kory Floyd and Perry M. Pauley, the authors explored the contradiction of affectionate communication. After understanding some of the reasons why affectionate behavior might be positive, I also analyzed the negative aspects of affectionate communication. Authors Floyd and Pauly discussed potential problems of receiving affectionate expressions, which captured my interest in the topic relating to my own personal experience. In my opinion, one of the greatest feelings in any relationship is feeling loved and appreciated by the other person. I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for a year and four months. The small things my boyfriend does for me, such as coming all the way down to Lexington from Louisville at midnight and surprising me with roses shows that he is dedicated into this relationship and he loves me very much. In return, I appreciate everything that he does for me. This example best represents the need to belong theory (NBT) by Baumeister and Leary. The need to
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