Affection: quick facts
Affection is a warm, fond feeling of liking and attachment toward another person, animal, or thing. It is gentler and more enduring than the intensity of love, expressing itself in everyday warmth, care, and a wish to…
Category
Complex & secondary emotions
Valence
Positive
Emotion family / blend
Tenderness
Typical triggers
Close relationships, fond memories, companionship, familiarity
How it's expressed
Warm smile, soft gaze, leaning close, gentle touch, easy tone
Sources: American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion; Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley — Emotions; Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Robert Plutchik) — overview. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.