Knowing when to say “I love you”: An expectancy approach to affectionate communication

Abstract

While vital for the development and maintenance of healthy interpersonal relationships, the overt communication of affection is fraught with risk. As a result, understanding the nature of affectionate communication is not only a matter of identifying behavioral tendencies, but also of exploring individuals’ normative expectancies for appropriate affectionate behavior. The present study examines the influence of biological sex, dyadic sex composition, and relationship type on people's perceptions of how frequently they engage in affectionate behavior and how appropriate they feel such behavior to be. Predictions regarding the influence of these factors were largely supported; moreover, the congruence between expectations and people's reports of their actual behavior was examined.