Investing in Affection: An Investigation of Affection Exchange Theory and Relational Qualities

Affection exchange theory (AET; Floyd, 2001 Floyd , K. , & Morman , M. T. ( 2001 ). Human affection exchange: III. Discriminative parental solicitude in men's affectionate communication with their biological and nonbiological sons . Communication Quarterly , 49 , 310 – 327 .[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) argues that affectionate communication fosters long-term survival. AET specifically argues that part of this process occurs through the enhancement of close relational bonds. This study tests this proposition, specifically examining how affectionate messages relate to relational investment (satisfaction, commitment, quality of alternatives, and investment size). Analysis of 72 couples (N = 144; M = 35.58 years old) revealed that giving and receiving affection positively related to commitment and satisfaction. Receiving affection strongly predicted perceptions of satisfaction, and communicating affection better predicted commitment. Affection accounted for between 17% and 35% of the variance in perceptions of commitment and satisfaction.