As the majority of full-time employees drink alcohol, and alcohol can play an important role in professional interactions and career success, the current study examined the ways in which working professionals who abstain from alcohol manage communication about their non-drinking status. Framed by the theoretical lens of facework, semi-structured, in-depth interviews of 29 non-drinking professionals revealed that non-drinking in the real world is a deviant act that can be face threatening for non-drinkers and drinkers alike. Consequently, non-drinkers deployed a variety of preventive and corrective facework strategies (including passing and humor) to mitigate and remediate positive and negative face threat. This investigation uncovered practical communication tools individuals can use to abstain from alcohol without compromising their careers.

Although communication is critical for former problem drinkers to reject drinks, socialize with others, minimize stigma, and maintain their health and sobriety, recovering alcoholics' communication has not been examined beyond alcohol self-help groups. Using a Communication Privacy Management framework and in-depth, semistructured interviews, this study examined how former problem drinkers negotiate the disclosure of their nondrinking status. As participants perceived not drinking in the United States as deviant and socially risky, the investigation found participants primarily concealed their nondrinking status in order to fit in. Participants enacted specific communicative behaviors to regulate their privacy boundaries, only disclosing their struggles with alcohol when benefits outweighed costs (e.g., inspiring others, maintaining sobriety, or building relationships). This study offers practical disclosure strategies for former problem drinkers to protect their private information, manage social interactions, and stay sober.

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Loneliness has been shown to have direct effects on one's personal well-being. Specifically, a greater feeling of loneliness is associated with negative mental health outcomes, negative health behaviors, and an increased likelihood of premature mortality. Using the neuroendocrine hypothesis, we expected social inclusion to predict decreases in both blood glucose levels and low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and increases in high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Fifty-two healthy adults provided self-report data for social inclusion and blood samples for hematological tests. Results indicated that higher social inclusion predicted lower levels of blood glucose and LDL, but had no effect on HDL. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

The belongingness hypothesis suggests that humans have a fundamental need to form and maintain meaningful social bonds. Yet two contradictory impulses seem to guide associative behaviors: the need for inclusion and the tendency for in-group preference. The phenomenon of invited unfriending-posting message on social media petitioning those who differ from the poster on some stance to sever the relationship-exemplifies this tension. Two studies examined the types of messages users post when petitioning disconnection as well as the characteristics and behaviors of posters and recipients. First, a thematic analysis of 515 invited unfriending posts revealed that having different likes or dislikes, being unable or willing to do something the poster deems important, and being too politically conservative were the top three reasons for inviting unfriending. Subsequently, a survey of 445 Facebook users found that nearly 10% had invited unfriending and nearly 75% had received such an invitation. Posters did not differ substantially from non-posters, and both posters and recipients identified themes that were largely similar with those identified in the thematic analysis.

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Affectionate communication consists of the verbal and nonverbal means through which people convey messages of love, fondness, appreciation, and commitment to others in close relationships. Like all interpersonal behaviors, affectionate communication has physiological antecedents, correlates, and consequences, many of which have implications for physical and mental wellness. This chapter begins by situating affectionate behavior in a bioevolutionary frame, noting its adaptive nature with respect to survival, procreation, and well-being. The chapter then reviews research on the genetic and neurological distinctions between highly affectionate and less affectionate individuals; the stress management and stress recovery benefits of affection exchange; the associations between affection, immunocompetence, and experiences of relaxation and calm; and the physical and psychological detriments associated with affection deprivation.