Velescu Alexandra Gabriela, MCPE 2

Theory of Communication

Human Affection Exchange: V. Attributes of the Highly Affectionate

Floyd Kory (2006)

In the present study, Floyd (2002) is focusing on the affection exchange theory (AET) and its implications
on the individual, as well as on the social characteristics of the individual. The premise that affection is
one of the most elementary human traits has determined Floyd to the after-effect a human encounters
when he offers and communicates affection to people around him. For a better understanding of his
approach, he describes the theory itself, which will be described in the following paragraph. AET is
derived from the evolutionary psychology and is related to the Darwin’s concept of natural selection,
due to Floyd’s belief that an affectionate communication can assist humans’ survival and procreation.

In this paper, Floyd presents us 3 postulates, which I will briefly present in this paragraph. Postulate 1
comprises the idea that an affectionate communication can assist human survival. The second postulate
states that this type of communication also offers a greater chance for procreation opportunities, as it
enhances one’s characteristics of being a good future parent. Postulate 3 says that being affectionate to
your children can enhance the possibility that the children will also procreate and will therefore give
birth to a future generation.

The findings of this study have been aligned with the hypotheses made by Floyd in the beginning of the
chapter. Firstly, it has been concluded that, compared with the communicators with low levels of
affection, people which communicate with affection to others have shown more positive traits such as
happiness, self-confidence and a greater willingness of creating intimate relationships. Another
hypotheses confirmed is related to a person’s keenness for attachments, in which he discovered that the
one’s with a lower level of affection in communication are more likely to avoid or be fearful of creating
attachments or bonds (in comparison with high affection communicators).

The fourth hypothesis is related to the communicator’s femininity and the findings have been extremely
interesting, as Floyd discovered that “the greatest femininity was reported by high-affection men”
(Floyd, 2006, p.145). The last two hypotheses were in regard to one’s sociability, but also in creating and
maintaining relationships. Therefore, communicators with high levels of affection are more outgoing
when it comes to their social life and at the same time, they are more likely to be offered with more
affection, resulting ultimately in higher levels of satisfaction. In conclusion, it can be noticed that highly
affectionate communicators can encounter more positive experiences and outcomes, than the one at
the opposite side of the spectrum.