Relational and health correlates of excessive affection

ABSTRACT The current study examined excessive affection, the perception that someone is receiving more affection than they would prefer. The study posed several hypotheses over three studies that all dealt with various psychosocial correlates of excessive affection. Specifically, the first two studies examined correlates of a more general perception of excessive affection (which were largely unsupported except for both anxious and avoidant attachment), while the third study examined correlates of a more specific perception of excessive affection within romantic relationships. Nearly all of the hypotheses were supported in the third study, including relationships with stress, loneliness, and relational satisfaction.