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Men’s tendency to exhibit withdrawal behaviors during affective communication has been shown to be a point of contention in romantic discord. The current study was designed to examine whether men’s desire to facilitate a discussion regarding affective communication would be affected by media portrayals of subtle versus blatant withdrawal; the latter epitomized by a hypermasculine man who opts to leave an emotionally tense situation, while it is evident that his distressed female partner desires communication. To this end, male and female college students participated in an alleged memory experiment for media clips taken from Hollywood films. Viewing a blatant (but not a subtle) withdrawal clip caused men to shy away from facilitating affective communication as compared to controls. This finding was not obvious, given people’s documented tendency to attempt to disconfirm group stereotypes when a prime is blatant. We situate findings at the intersection of social psychological and media theorizing.

Advancements in spoken language technologies have allowed users to interact with computers in an increasingly natural manner. However, most conversational agents or dialogue systems are yet to consider emotional awareness in interaction. To consider emotion in these situations, social-affective knowledge in conversational agents is essential. In this paper, we present a study of the social-affective process in natural conversation from television talk shows. We analyze occurrences of emotion (emotional responses), and the events that elicit them (emotional triggers). We then utilize our analysis for prediction to model the ability of a dialogue system to decide an action and response in an affective interaction. This knowledge has great potential to incorporate emotion into human-computer interaction. Experiments in two languages, English and Indonesian, show that automatic prediction performance surpasses random guessing accuracy.

Although well established with newlywed couples, studies examining the association between affective communication during conflict and later relationship satisfaction yield inconsistent results with premarital samples. The current study reexamined this association with a different method of coding affect observed during discussions of separate male- and female-selected problem topics and contemporary methods for modeling dyadic data. The sample included 32 engaged couples assessed across the transition to marriage. Premarital affect correlated with concurrent and postnuptial relationship satisfaction. Men's and women's premarital affect also predicted changes in women's relationship satisfaction across the transition to marriage when controlling for cohabitation, length of the assessment interval, and age. Implications are discussed in the context of prominent developmental models of marriage and current premarital interventions.

I propose a new analytic function of dreams: the use of dreams to activate powerful forms of unconscious affective communication between patient and analyst, which crucially facilitate the transformation of dissociative mental structure. Moments of what I call dissociative unconscious communication serve to “seek-and-find” the unconscious mind of the analyst and open up channels of unconscious empathy. Such analytic dream communications are particularly likely to occur when certain overwhelming experiences are dominating the treatment: (a) the accessing of dissociated early trauma, and (b) the loosening or crumbling of dissociative structure as the patient begins to come alive.

About six hundred and fourteen elderly people married to each other, average ages 66 and 63 respectively, in long term, mature marriages, lasting on the average 36 years, completed the Marital Satisfaction Inventory, Revised-MSIr (Snyder, D.K. 1999) and the short version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (Kohout, F.J., Berkman, L.F., Evans, D.A.,Cornoni-Huntley, J. (1993). The purpose of this study was to determine whether depression in one or both spouses and poor affective and problem solving communication occur together.Husbands and wives were divided into nine groups based on their levels of depression (hlow/wlow, hmed/wmed, hhigh/whigh, hhigh/wlow, hhigh/wmed, wlow/hhigh, and wlow/hmed, hmed/wlow, and hmed/whigh). Analysis of Variance was used to examine the difference in couple affective communication and problem solving scores from the MSIr (1999).The findings indicated that when husbands or wives are more depressed, both affective communication and problem solving processes are impaired for the couple. When both are depressed, affective communication and problem solving are worse than when only one is depressed, and both husband and wife communication scores are worse when one or both partners is depressed than when neither husband nor wife is depressed.While these findings do not point to cause, implications for providing mental health services (including marital therapy) or couple based education groups as supports to the depressed elderly and their spouses are recommended.

Although women have been stereotyped as more emotionally expressive than men, the extant empirical evidence on sex differences in the expression and use of affective communication is equivocal. The authors examined the influence of sex and context on the expression and use of computer-mediated affective language in a sample of young adults. A total of 56 undergraduates (28 males, 28 females) were paired in same-sex dyads and randomly assigned to either a webcam or no webcam condition. The participants engaged in a 10-min free chat online conversation in the laboratory. Transcripts were objectively coded for the use of affective communication and traditional linguistic and conversational style measures. The analyses revealed separate significant Sex × Webcam Condition interactions on the affective quality of language used and the expression of computer-mediated emotion. Men in the webcam condition used significantly less active words than men in the no webcam condition and less than women in the webcam condition. Women in the webcam condition used significantly more emoticons than women in the no webcam condition or men in either condition. Men and women did not differ in their use of emoticons in the no webcam condition. Results suggest that sex differences in the use and expression of computer-mediated affective communication are context specific in an undergraduate sample. Findings are discussed in terms of their larger implications for understanding sex differences in the expression and use of emotion in face-to-face (FTF) social interactions.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate consumer attitudes to, and acceptance of, affective communication in the context of pre‐knowledge regarding wood‐based food additives.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 263 Austrian consumers was carried out to investigate pre‐knowledge, attitude and attitude change as a result of affective communication about wood‐based food additives.FindingsAbout 14 per cent of the sample had pre‐knowledge concerning wood‐based food additives. In general the attitudes towards wood‐based additives were significantly better than those towards food additives in general. The results indicate a connection between pre‐knowledge and attitude. Respondents who had knowledge about wood‐based food additives evaluated them better, especially in contrast to those who had wrong ideas about them. Furthermore, it proved possible to improve the evaluations of those respondents who did not know about wood‐based additives by providing basic information.Practical implicationsThe provision of additional information would improve the marketing potential of wood‐based additives, especially in contrast to additives in general. If the topic is ignored, there is a risk that public discussion could be based on non‐knowledge‐based conceptions by some consumers. The provision of early impact information is suggested in this regard.Originality/valueAlthough the use of wood as a raw material in the food industry is common, it has not been a subject of public or scientific discussion to date.

At this point in the evolution of our field, developments in psychoanalysis and family systems, as well as findings from cognitive neuroscience and research in infant development are pointing to convergences in our understanding of the human experience. One central point of convergence has been the understanding of implicit modes of experience, particularly as this relates to affective communication. Through the lens of couples and couple therapy, this paper examines the ways in which the patterning of couple and family relationships takes place in the enactive domain through nonconscious, implicit communication processes. With the understanding that it is in the nature of implicit experience that it must be enacted to be accessed, this paper argues that some of that which is stored in the implicit domain remains embedded and enacted in one's most intimate relationships and therefore can only be accessed within the context of those relationships. This paper then explores some of the implications of implic...

Affective communication is a key element in the design of museum exhibitions to engage with visitors and so enhance their visit experience. Museums are examples of what Auge refers to as non-places. He asserts that non-places, such as museums, supermarkets and airports, provide people with different experiences (when compared with experiences in anthropological places) because people in a non-place are a collection of solitary individuals (as opposed to a social group), each of whom typically interacts with the non-place using written text and narratives. This inevitably affects each individual experience of the non-place. Personalisation is a strategy used in the production of consumer goods to tailor products to suit the needs of individual consumers. This paper explores the use of personalisation as a design strategy that might be used to improve affective communication between an exhibition and individual visitors. Early results of research using personalisation technologies to provide museum visitors...

We present "Nakama": A communication device that supports affective communication between a child and its - geographically separated - parent. Nakama consists of a control unit at the parent's end and an actuated teddy bear for the child. The bear contains several communication channels, including social touch, temperature, and vibrotactile heartbeats; all aimed at increasing the sense of presence. The current version of Nakama is suitable for user evaluations in lab settings, with which we aim to gain a more thorough understanding of the opportunities and limitations of these less traditional communication channels.

In this paper, we present WearLove, a wrist-worn device and mobile application for enhancing affective communication between users. It enables two users to send a heart symbol to each other's wristband monitors by touching the sensor on the band. Given that the gamification causes the user motivation, we add the gamification elements to the app. The more they express their love to each other via the wristband, the bigger a tree will be grown in the app. By using WearLove, we would like to figure out it can actually enhance the affective communication between users. Add to this, we also investigate the gamification elements in the app can evoke the user motivation for affective communication. To address these questions, three group interviews were conducted during one hour for each couple. (N = 6, 3 couples) Results indicated that WearLove may evoke user motivation for affective communication. Key findings and limitations are going to be discussed in the paper.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a painful blood disorder that affects hemoglobin in red blood cells causing them to sickle and clog the veins of its sufferers. More than 100,000 people live with SCD in the U.S. And more' than a million people are living with the disease world-wide. 60% of SCD patients, aged ten to nineteen, experience one or more painful events a year. Mobile health applications can improve the overall well-being of patients with chronic diseases by lowering costs, improving quality and access of care, and shifting behavior to prevention of hospital stays. Spare Me is a mobile health tool, that once complete, will help to predict sickle cell crises and communicate with its users on how to cope and remain healthy. This paper describes the affective communication strategy called Spare Me How. Spare Me How uses heart rate variability, pain-levels, diet, and fluid intake to create affective messages to send empathetic messages through instant message (IM).

Social touches are essential in interpersonal communication, for instance to show affect. Despite this importance, mediated interpersonal communication oftentimes lacks the possibility to touch. A human touch is a complex composition of several physical qualities and parameters, but different haptic technologies allow us to isolate such parameters and to investigate their opportunities and limitations for affective communication devices. In our research, we focus on the role that temperature may play in affective mediated communication. In the current paper, we describe the design of a wearable 'research tool' that will facilitate systematic research on the possibilities of temperature in affective communication. We present use cases, and define a list of requirements accordingly. Based on a requirement fulfillment analysis, we conclude that our research tool can be of value for research on new forms of affective mediated communication.

There is a prosperity in wearable media in data monitoring. Since the apparel can show personal tastes, emotions and attitudes, what if our clothes could express affective information throughout different situations? This paper presents a system for enhancing the experience of situated-base affective communication by information visualization. The paper discusses the leading features in a variety of specific contexts such as the information monitoring, the remote communication and the customization.

Social touches are essential in interpersonal communication, for instance to show affect. Despite this importance, mediated interpersonal communication oftentimes lacks the possibility to touch. A human touch is a complex composition of several physical qualities and parameters, but different haptic technologies allow us to isolate such parameters and to investigate their opportunities and limitations for affective communication devices. In our research, we focus on the role that temperature may play in affective mediated communication. In the current paper, we describe the design of a wearable 'research tool' that will facilitate systematic research on the possibilities of temperature in affective communication. We present use cases, and define a list of requirements accordingly. Based on a requirement fulfillment analysis, we conclude that our research tool can be of value for research on new forms of affective mediated communication. © 2015 IEEE.

Recent research suggests that physical warmth activates perceptions of metaphorical interpersonal warmth and closeness, and increases pro-social behavior. These effects are grounded in our earliest intimate experiences: being held by our loving caregivers. These findings provide reasons to incorporate warmth in devices for distant affective communication, which could simulate one's body heat. An experiment was carried out to gain a better understanding of the implications of physical warmth for mediated social interaction. Moreover, we aimed at disentangling effects of social warmth (body temperature) from effects of non-social warmth (artificial heat sources and ambient temperature). Except for an increase in perceptions of metaphorical warmth as a consequence of higher ambient temperature, no effects were found. We use our study to pinpoint the caveats and challenges that research into warmth in affective mediated interaction faces. © 2015 IEEE.

We present "Nakama": A communication device that supports affective communication between a child and its - geographically separated - parent. Nakama consists of a control unit at the parent's end and an actuated teddy bear for the child. The bear contains several communication channels, including social touch, temperature, and vibrotactile heartbeats; all aimed at increasing the sense of presence. The current version of Nakama is suitable for user evaluations in lab settings, with which we aim to gain a more thorough understanding of the opportunities and limitations of these less traditional communication channels.

Social touches are essential in interpersonal communication, for instance to show affect. Despite this importance, mediated interpersonal communication oftentimes lacks the possibility to touch. A human touch is a complex composition of several physical qualities and parameters, but different haptic technologies allow us to isolate such parameters and to investigate their opportunities and limitations for affective communication devices. In our research, we focus on the role that temperature may play in affective mediated communication. In the current paper, we describe the design of a wearable 'research tool' that will facilitate systematic research on the possibilities of temperature in affective communication. We present use cases, and define a list of requirements accordingly. Based on a requirement fulfillment analysis, we conclude that our research tool can be of value for research on new forms of affective mediated communication. © 2015 IEEE.

We present "Nakama": A communication device that supports affective communication between a child and its - geographically separated - parent. Nakama consists of a control unit at the parent's end and an actuated teddy bear for the child. The bear contains several communication channels, including social touch, temperature, and vibrotactile heartbeats; all aimed at increasing the sense of presence. The current version of Nakama is suitable for user evaluations in lab settings, with which we aim to gain a more thorough understanding of the opportunities and limitations of these less traditional communication channels.

Recent research suggests that physical warmth activates perceptions of metaphorical interpersonal warmth and closeness, and increases pro-social behavior. These effects are grounded in our earliest intimate experiences: being held by our loving caregivers. These findings provide reasons to incorporate warmth in devices for distant affective communication, which could simulate one's body heat. An experiment was carried out to gain a better understanding of the implications of physical warmth for mediated social interaction. Moreover, we aimed at disentangling effects of social warmth (body temperature) from effects of non-social warmth (artificial heat sources and ambient temperature). Except for an increase in perceptions of metaphorical warmth as a consequence of higher ambient temperature, no effects were found. We use our study to pinpoint the caveats and challenges that research into warmth in affective mediated interaction faces. © 2015 IEEE.

The lack of attention towards affective communication in assistive technology and disability research can be potentially overcome thanks to the development of affective computing and affective mediation areas. This document describes the main impairments and disorders that may involve affective communication deficits. We also present several affective mediation technologies that are being applied or may be integrated in assistive technologies in order to improve affective communication for a range of disabilities. Finally, we describe our experience with Gestele, an application that incorporates multimodal elements of affective mediation for people with mobility impairments, as well as the results of an empirical study conducted to evaluate the application's validity in communication via telephone.

Recent research has explored moderating factors that shape the perception and production of emotional support messages. The current study extends this agenda and examines how attachment patterns influence values for affective communication skills and evaluations of verbal person‐centered comfort. A total of 280 participants completed categorical and continuous attachment measures as well as a measure of communication values, and provided evaluations of comforting messages. Results indicated that avoidants viewed affective communication skills as significantly more important than did nonavoidants. Dismissives and preoccupieds viewed low person‐centered comforting messages as more comforting than did secures and fearful avoidants. Fearful avoidants viewed these messages as least comforting of the four attachment styles. These findings have important implications for differences in how people evaluate affective communication skills and particularly comforting messages that vary in person centeredness.

The paper argues that affect represents an immediate evaluation of the environment, informing us about our experience of ourselves in the world and providing a basis for action. The perception of o...

Starting from an understanding of psychological disorders as disorders in relationship regulation as well as the assumption that the therapeutic relationship can be conceptualized as a specific operating variable, a synopsis of results from psychotherapy process emphasizing the role of affective processes for establishing, maintaining, and regulating relationships is presented. Affects are understood as phenomena that are substantially communicated through nonverbal, particularly facial-affective, behavior and thus serve important relationship regulating functions. This article presents a discussion of facial-affective behavior of patients with different psychological disorders, characteristics of affective communication in psychotherapies, and existing empirical results. Nonverbale Beziehungsregelung in der Psychotherapie Vor dem Hintergrund eines Verstandnisses psychischer Storungen als Beziehungsstorungen und der therapeutischen Beziehung als spezifischer Wirkvariable, soll ein Uberblick uber Ergebniss...

Aim: The present study was conducted to clarify the type and frequency of verbal communication between caregivers and elderly residents in geriatric care facilities. The relationship of this verbal communication was studied in terms of the caregivers talking to elderly residents and the utterances issued by the elderly residents. The attributes of the elderly residents were also studied. Methods: There were 35 eldery residents living in three metropolitan geriatric care facilities. Observations were made of caregivers talking to elderly residents and of elderly residents talking to caregivers in order to conduct a content analysis that categorized the types of verbal communication observed. A statistical analysis of the relationship between the frequency and duration of verbal communication and attributes of the elderly residents was carried out. Results: There were two category types of talking to elderly residents by a caregiver: ‘talking to elicit the ‘activities of daily living (ADL)-related behavior/performance or physical functioning’ (type I: instrumental communication) and ‘talking to facilitate psychosocial life activities’ (type II: affective communication), of which the former accounted for 75.9%. The number of spontaneous utterances from elderly residents was very low, with most utterances being responses to caregivers talking to them. There was a tendency for utterances from the elderly residents to increase as the total time of being talked to by caregiver increased (r = 0.47, P

Computers are less able to respond to human emotion during communicating to user. This study was to find to the systemic model of computer responsive to affective communication from the user using physiological parameters such as EEG (Electroencephalogram), HRV (Heart rate variability) and EDA (Electrodermal activity). 26 university students were exposed emotional stimuli and their physiological measures were determined for evaluating four emotions based on 2 dimensions: valence level and arousal level. The system model was defined for emotion computer imbedded by on-line evaluation and response process of user's emotion. The results of this study showed feasibility of constructing the interactive systemic model of computer for affective communication to users.

The focus of this study was to assess the value that college students place on instrumental and affective communication skills across progressive relational stages in same‐sex relationships. Existing measures were utilized for affective and instrumental skills, however a newly developed communication skill (companionship) was also included. Relational stages included non‐unit (acquaintance), pre‐unit (testing friendship potential), unit (friend), and super‐unit (special friend). Results indicated that participants in non‐unit relationships valued some affective communication skills less tlian did those in pre‐unit, unit, and super‐unit relationships. All relational stages valued instrumental skills equally. Some gender differences were noted.

An argument is developed that supports a simulationist account about the foundations of infants' and young children's understanding that other people have mental states. This argument relies on evidence that infants come to the world with capacities to send and receive affective cues and to appreciate the emotional states of others – capacities well suited to a social environment initially made up of frequent and extended emotional interactions with their caregivers. The central premise of the argument is that the foundation of infants' understanding of other minds is built upon an early-developing capacity to share others' emotion experiences. The emotion experiences elicited in interactions between caregivers and infants enable the elaboration of this primitive understanding into a more fully developed understanding of psychological subjects. The evidence presented in support of these claims derives from a wide range of studies of the phenomena of emotional contagion, affective communication, and emotion regulation involving infants, young children, and adults.

Food is more than just a means of survival; it is also a form of communication. In this paper, we investigate the potential of food as a social message carrier (a.k.a., food messaging). To investigate how people accept, use, and perceive food messaging, we conducted exploratory interviews, a field study, and follow-up interviews over four weeks in a large information technology (IT) company. We collected 904 messages sent by 343 users. Our results suggest strong acceptance of food messaging as an alternative message channel. Further analysis implies that food messaging embodies characteristics of both text messaging and gifting. It is preferred in close relationships for its evocation of positive emotions. As the first field study on edible social messaging, our empirical findings provide valuable insights into the uniqueness of food as a message carrier and its capabilities to promote greater social bonding.

This paper explores the use of variable friction surface haptics enabled by the TPad Tablet to support affective communication between pairs of users. We introduce three haptic applications for the TPad Tablet (text messaging, image sharing, and virtual touch) and evaluate the applications with 24 users, including intimate couples and strangers. Participants used haptics to communicate literal texture, denote action within a scene, convey emotional information, highlight content, express and engage in physical playfulness, and to provide one's partner with an experience or sensation. We conclude that users readily associate haptics with emotional expression and that the intimacy of touch in the contexts we study is best suited for communications with close social partners.

Linguistic UX design for Smart TV has been creating much heap as a means of new TV control. Since human voice displays powerful social presence, the issue with defining a Smart TV agent that interacts with users has a big impact in users’ satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to analyze the linguistic patterns in vocal commands of TV users and to suggest underlying personas of Smart TV agent that appears when users interact with a Smart TV. First, we analyzed most common TV viewing situations and the patterns of users’ behavior through a survey. Then, we collected 867 vocal data through a cultural probe method in which 10 families, each representing a typical type of TV viewers, by asking them to record what they would like to say to the TV while watching it for about a week. We suggest 6 different type of Smart TV personas, such as expert, assistant, colleague, slave, machine and pet, based on the relationship that the user and TV exhibited. With the collected vocal data, we analyzed the participants’ speech pattern and style to examine which type of Smart TV persona was most prevalent. As a result, there were slight difference in types that emerged according different functions of Smart TV and we found that the assistant type appeared most frequently followed by the colleague type.

Affective computing holds the promise of creating effortless, integrated, and automatic ways of communicating emotions within our intimate social network. This could augment awareness systems and connectedness devices, reducing loneliness and improving health and well-being. Through two experiments, we investigate the effects of quantity and automaticity of emotion communication on perceived intimacy in mediated settings. In the first experiment (N=48), we manipulated the number of communicated emoticons. Results show that increases in communicated emoticon quantity lead to strong increases in perceived intimacy. In the second experiment (N=34), we compare automatic and user-initiated communication of emoticons. Results show that user-initiated communication of emoticons is experienced as more intimate than automatic communication. These results are discussed in light of the interpersonal process model of intimacy and can help the design of applications aimed at improving social interactions through affective communication technology.

In this paper the effect of a communication training programme on the instrumental and affective communication skills employed by ward nurses during the admittance interview with recently diagnosed cancer patients was investigated. The training focused on teaching nurses skills to discuss and handle patient emotions. For this purpose, 46 nurses participated in 92 videotaped admittance interviews with simulated patients. The study had a randomized pre-test-post-test design. Multi-level analysis was used to measure the effects of the training. The results revealed that the trained nurses significantly increased asking open-ended psychosocial questions, which indicates that they were actively exploring patients' feelings. Furthermore, the patients showed a significant increase in affective communication. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that, although limited, training can induce favourable changes in the communication skills of nurses, and can even affect patient communication. Future studies should focus on the further evaluation of educational programmes to enhance communication skills.

Aim. In this paper the balance of affective and instrumental communication employed by nurses during the admission interview with recently diagnosed cancer patients was investigated.Rationale. The balance of affective and instrumental communication employed by nurses appears to be important, especially during the admission interview with cancer patients. Methods. For this purpose, admission interviews between 53 ward nurses and simulated cancer patients were videotaped and analysed using the Roter Interaction Analysis system, in which a distinction is made between instrumental and affective communication.Results. The results reveal that more than 60% of nurses' utterances were of an instrumental nature. Affective communication occurred, but was more related to global affect ratings like giving agreements and paraphrases than to discussing and exploring actively patients feelings by showing empathy, showing concern and optimism.Conclusion. In future, nurses should be systematically provided with (continuing) training programmes, in which they learn how to communicate effectively in relation to patients' emotions and feelings, and how to integrate emotional care with practical and medical tasks.

The present study examined the effectiveness of videotape feedback procedure in the development process of affective communication between an infant with autistic spectrum disorder and a mother who has an infant with autistic spectrum disorder, and mother's change in the manner of talking and behavior towards her infant with affective communication developed. Videotape observations at her home and videotape feedback interviews were conducted. As a result, the manner of talking and behavior towards her infant and the point of view understanding to her infant were changed. At the same time, mother-infant interactions were activated and affective communication between mother and infant was developed. Using PAC analysis, it could be confirmed that the mother had positive image for her infant. Based on these results, the effectiveness of videotape feedback procedure and PAC analysis were discussed., 紀要論文

This article treats the popular response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, as a manifestation of the cultural public sphere, by which is meant a symbolic space for affective communication and an emotional sense of democratic participation. The Diana phenomenon neither produced a ‘revolutionary moment’ nor, however, was it insignificant. Rather, it represented a vehicle for public debate on British identity, the role of the monarchy and, more diffusely, the conduct of personal relations. New Labour and feminist appropriations of Diana are examined in detail and related to a general consideration of the diverse and contested meanings of her life and death.

Objective: To describe patient-obstetrician communication during the first prenatal visit and its relationship to physician gender and patient satisfaction. Methods: The first prenatal visit of 87 women with 21 obstetricians (11 male and ten female) was audiotaped and analyzed using the Roter Interaction Analysis System. Patient satisfaction was measured by postvisit questionnaire. Results: Communication during first prenatal visits was largely biomedical, with little psychosocial or social discussion. Male physicians conducted longer visits than females (26 minutes versus 21.9 minutes, P 1.96, P 1.96, P < .05). Satisfaction with physicians’ emotional responsiveness and informational partnership was related to female physician gender and a variety of task-focused and affective communication variables. Conclusion: Communication and satisfaction between women and obstetricians during initial prenatal visits is related to physician gender and patient satisfaction. Male physicians conducted longer visits but women were more satisfied with female physicians.

Body formations of therapist and couple during therapy sessions mainly function to signal their degree of readiness to interact or their degree of engagement in the therapeutic process, which is one contextual display of their affective communication. For this study, we developed the Body Formation Coding System (BFCS), a 4-category instrument to assess engagement at the triadic level. This article presents the BFSC method as well as a first validation on a sample of 14 triads. The results show that (a) triads vary according to their degree of triadic engagement; (b) engagement is related to the degree of therapeutic alliance; and (c) when the alliance is sufficient, a triadic invariant of engagement emerges. This means that partners regulate and coordinate their behaviors to maintain a stable level of engagement, whatever changes in their conversational organization. Finally, it discusses the potential of this method for describing the interactive aspects of the therapeutic alliance.

This article presents the results of an investigation wherein Rogan and Hammer's language intensity/message affect coding metric was used for evaluating variability in the emotional language of Euro-Americans and African Americans responding to a freeresponse scenario. Overall, the findings from this study indicate that there are significant differences in the level of affect present in messages communicated by African Americans compared with messages communicated by Euro-Americans. Specifically, the EuroAmerican respondents employed significantly greater language intensity and significantly more positive message valence compared with more negatively valenced and neutral language intensity used by African American respondents. These findings provide additional insight into traditional, qualitatively derived assumptions regarding the affective communication patterns of Euro-Americans and African Africans. The results also serve to bolster the applicability and validity of Rogan and Hammer's coding metric.

Touch is an important modality for affective communication between individuals. Here we present a system, named the TaSST (Tactile Sleeve for Social Touch), that allows two people to communicate different types of touch at a distance by touching their own forearm. In this paper we will introduce the TaSST and present a demo setup using two TaSST sleeves.

Emerging field of intimate computing relates to the technologies that aim to mediate affective communication across distance. Conventional telecommunication media are originally designed for collaborations and task oriented goals with the poor support of intimate experiences. Contemporary lifestyle changes leaded to design and adoption of technologies in support of long distance relationships. The present work is a study of existing prototypical systems and related conceptual studies in this realm of study. Their design perspective, mechanism and human factors are described. Challenges coupled to this domain are studied and future research directions are proposed.

In addition to semantic content, affect conveyed by text plays an important role for rich and friendly communication. This is particularly true in human communication. In recent days, the percentage of human-computer and computer-mediated communications is increasing in our life. In this situation, a computer is expected to understand the affects or emotions included in text. We have been working on this problem, i.e., textual affect sensing, for some years.

In this paper we introduce CheekTouch, an affective audio-tactile communication technique that transmits multi-finger touch gestures applied on a sender's mobile phone to a receiver's cheek in real time during a call. We made a pair of CheekTouch prototypes each with a multi-touch screen and vibrotactile display to enable bidirectional touch delivery. We observed four romantic couples in their twenties using our prototype system in a lab setting over five consecutive days, and analyzed how CheekTouch affected their non-verbal and emotional communication. The results of the user study showed that CheekTouch could effectively support audio-tactile communication in various ways - persuading, conveying status, delivering information, emphasizing emotion/words, calling for attention, and being playful.