ABSTRACT
A formidable body of research examines the importance of emotions to communicative competence. However, individuals vary considerably in their ability to understand and communicate their own emotions competently. This chapter explores three traits that contribute to this variance: alexithymia, social anhedonia, and autism. For each trait, the chapter discusses the psychological and relational correlates/outcomes, as well as the physiological correlates/outcomes. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the current state of the field, along with directions for future research.
