Kory Floyd
Kory Floyd's research focuses on the communication of affection in personal relationships, and on the interplay between communication, physiology and health. He has studied affectionate communication in a host of family relationships, as well as between romantic partners, friends, and new acquaintances. His work in the Communication Sciences Laboratory demonstrates how affectionate behavior can alter stress hormones, lower blood glucose, reduce lipids, and improve immune system parameters. His most recent project, funded by the National Institutes of Health, investigated the role of the peptide hormone oxytocin in the stress-alleviating effects of affectionate communication.
Professor Floyd is editor of Communication Monographs, past chair of the family communication division of the National Communication Association, and previous editor of the Journal of Family Communication. He was the 2006 recipient of the Gerald R. Miller Award for Early Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationship Research. He has authored multiple books, including "Communicating affection: Interpersonal behavior and social context" (Cambridge University Press, 2006), "The biology of human communication" (Thomson, 2007/2e), "Interpersonal communication" (McGraw-Hill, 2008), "Biological dimensions of communication" (Hampton Press, 2009), "Nonverbal communication" (Allyn & Bacon, 2010), and "Communication matters" (McGraw-Hill, 2011).
Primary Interests:
- Close Relationships
- Communication, Language
- Emotion, Mood, Affect
- Evolution and Genetics
- Health Psychology
- Helping, Prosocial Behavior
- Interpersonal Processes
- Neuroscience, Psychophysiology
- Nonverbal Behavior
Research Group or Laboratory:
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Image Gallery
Video Gallery
Why We Need Affection and Intimacy
Select video to watch
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3:02 Why We Need Affection and Intimacy
Length: 3:02
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1:24 Side Hug Etiquette
Length: 1:24
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45:50 The Importance of Being Prosocial: Communication, Health, and Well-Being
Length: 45:50
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2:48 The Roots of Cultural Prejudice
Length: 2:48
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2:45 Why We Experience Emotion
Length: 2:45
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:44 Hugging at the Office?
Length: :44
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33:44 How to Cope with Loneliness During the Holidays
Length: 33:44
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2:30 How to Spot Deception
Length: 2:30
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40:40 When Touch Is Out of Reach
Length: 40:40
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1:19:33 The Importance of Being Prosocial (University of Washington)
Length: 1:19:33
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1:05:01 How to Cure Loneliness With Genuine Human Connection
Length: 1:05:01
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1:15:54 The Importance of Being Prosocial (Frances McClelland Institute)
Length: 1:15:54
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32:54 Interview on "The Loneliness Project"
Length: 32:54
Additional Videos
Books:
- Beatty, M. J., McCroskey, J. C., & Floyd, K. (Eds.). (2009). Biological dimensions of communication: Perspectives, methods, and research. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
- Burgoon, J. K., Guerrero, L. K., & Floyd, K. (2010). Nonverbal communication. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
- Floyd, K. (2014). Communication matters (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Floyd, K. (2012). Interpersonal communication (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Floyd, K. (2006). Communicating affection: Interpersonal behavior and social context. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
- Floyd, K., Mikkelson, A. C., & Hesse, C. (2007). The biology of human communication (2nd ed.). Florence, KY: Thomson Learning.
- Floyd, K., & Morman, M. T. (Eds.). (2006). Widening the family circle: New research on family communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Guerrero, L. K., & Floyd, K. (2006). Nonverbal communication in close relationships. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Journal Articles:
- Floyd, K. (2006). Human affection exchange: XII. Affectionate communication is associated with diurnal variation in salivary free cortisol. Western Journal of Communication, 70, 47-63.
- Floyd, K., Boren, J. P., Hannawa, A. F., Hesse, C., McEwan, B., & Veksler, A. E. (2009). Kissing in marital and cohabiting relationships: Effects on blood lipids, stress, and relationship satisfaction. Western Journal of Communication, 73, 113-133.
- Floyd, K., Hesse, C., & Haynes, M. T. (2007). Human affection exchange: XV. Metabolic and cardiovascular correlates of trait expressed affection. Communication Quarterly, 55, 79- 94.
- Floyd, K., Mikkelson, A. C., Hesse, C., & Pauley, P. M. (2007). Affectionate writing reduces total cholesterol: Two randomized, controlled trials. Human Communication Research, 33, 119-142.
- Floyd, K., Mikkelson, A. C., Tafoya, M. A., Farinelli, L., La Valley, A. G., Judd, J., Davis, K. L., Haynes, M. T., & Wilson, J. (2007). Human affection exchange: XIV. Relational affection predicts resting heart rate and free cortisol secretion during acute stress. Behavioral Medicine, 32, 151-156.
- Floyd, K., & Morman, M. T. (2000). Affection received from fathers as a predictor of men’s affection with their own sons: Tests of the modeling and compensation hypotheses. Communication Monographs, 67, 347-361.
- Floyd, K., Pauley, P. M., & Hesse, C. (2010). State and trait affectionate communication buffer adults’ stress reactions. Communication Monographs, 77, 618-636.
- Floyd, K., & Riforgiate, S. (2008). Affectionate communication received from spouses predicts stress hormone levels in healthy adults. Communication Monographs, 75, 351-368.
- Hesse, C., & Floyd, K. (2011). Affection mediates the impact of alexithymia on relationships. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 451-456.
- Floyd, K., Hesse, C., Boren, J. P., & Veksler, A. E. (in press). Affectionate communication can suppress immunity: Trait affection predicts antibody titers to latent Epstein-Barr virus. Southern Communication Journal.
- Hesse, C., Floyd, K., Rauscher, E. A., Frye-Cox, N., Hegarty, J., & Peng, H. (2013). Alexithymia and impairment of decoding positive affect: An fMRI study. Journal of Communication, Issue Journal of Communication Journal of Communication, 63, 786-806.
- Floyd, K., Mikkelson, A. C., Tafoya, M. A., Farinelli, L., La Valley, A. G., Judd, J., Haynes, M. T., Davis, K. L., & Wilson, J. (2007). Human affection exchange: XIII. Affectionate communication accelerates neuroendocrine stress recovery. Health Communication, 22, 123- 132.
Courses Taught:
- Biology of Communication
- Communication of Emotion
- Communication Theory
- Experimental Research Methods
- Family Communication
- Interpersonal Communication
- Multivariate Research Methods
- Nonverbal Communication
- Small Group Communication
- Univariate Research Methods
Kory Floyd
Department of Communication
The University of Arizona
1103 E. University Blvd.
Tempe, Arizona 85287-1205
United States of America
- Phone: (480) 965-3568
- Fax: (480) 965-4291
