Empathic Listening as an Expression of Interpersonal Affection

Abstract

In personal relationships, empathic listening may serve relational functions similar to affectionate communication. Consequently, theories of affectionate communication—such as affection exchange theory—can offer empirically testable predictions and theoretic explanations relevant to empathic listening behavior. This article considers the conceptual fit of empathic listening as a form of affectionate communication and identifies some empirical generalizations for the study of empathic listening.