Journal of Communication ISSN 0021-9916 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Alexithymia and Impairment of Decoding Positive Affect: An fMRI Study Colin Hesse 1 , Kory Floyd 2 , Emily A. Rauscher 3 , Nick E. Frye-Cox 4 , John P. Hegarty II 5 , & Huiling Peng 6 1 Department of Communication Studies, University of Missouri Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65203, USA 2 Department of Communication, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA 3 Department of Communication, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN, 47712, USA 4 Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA 5 Department of Radiology, University of Missouri Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA 6 Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA Previous research has implicated alexithymia as a psychological impairment to accurately decode emotional messages. This study attempted to explore potential neurological reasons for this impairment. Using functional brain imaging procedures, an experimental design was undertaken to assess group differences between individuals high and low in alexithymia on brain activation while viewing images of individuals displaying neutral or positive affect. While controlling for activation due to neutral affect images, results showed less activation for alexithymic versus nonalexithymic individuals due to positive affect images in several areas of the brain, including the amygdala and the hippocampus. Several implications and directions for future research are also discussed. doi:10.1111/jcom.12039 A formidable corpus of theory links affective decoding skill to biopsychosocial health. From the vantage of evolutionary theory, the ability to interpret and respond accu- rately to the emotional expressions of conspecifics is clearly adaptive (Floyd, 2006), as such expressions can signal both opportunities and dangers that have implica- tions for survival and reproduction (see Darwin, 1872; Ekman, 2003). Accurately interpreting an expression of affection, for instance, provides one an opportu- nity to form or reaffirm a close relationship—which can be important for both survival and reproduction—that is missed by failing to interpret that expression accurately. In the communication discipline, theories such as communication accommo- dation theory (Giles, 2008) and affection exchange theory (Floyd, 2006) claim that Corresponding author: Colin Hesse; e-mail: hessecr@missouri.edu 786 Journal of Communication 63 (2013) 786–806  2013 International Communication Association