The positive effect of expressed affection exceeded the effect of received affection

Affectionate communication and health: A meta-analysis. Colin Hesse et al. Communication Monographs, Aug 12 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2020.1805480

ABSTRACT: A robust literature documents the health benefits of affectionate communication. The present study offers a meta-analysis of this literature to estimate general effects of affectionate communication on several areas of health, including cardiovascular, stress hormonal, stress reactivity, and mental health. We also examined potential moderators, including the type of affectionate communication and sex, while predicting that the benefits of expressed affection outweigh the benefits of received affection. We found a weighted mean effect of r = .23 for the relationship between affectionate communication and health, with differences based on type of health outcome but none for type of affection or sex. The effect of expressed affection exceeded the effect of received affection. The paper discusses the implications of these results.

KEYWORDS: Affection, affectionate communication, health, wellness, meta-analysis, affection exchange theory