The need for affect is defined as a general motivation to approach or avoid emotion inducing situations. Our main goal was to further contribute to the validity and the more efficient measurement of this construct. The first study, using a heterogeneous student sample, found that just as the English version, the Croatian version has a similar two-factor structure and two highly reliable dimensions. Need for affect dimensions were related to a number of other individual differences in emotional competence, need for cognition, self-consciousness about one's emotions, cognitions and body sensations. Correlational patterns indicate good construct validity of the need for affect dimensions. The second study tested the properties of the shortened version of the Need for Affect Scale (Maio & Esses, 2001). High reliabilities and a stable factor structure indicate that the attempt for a more efficient measurement of the need for affect was successful. Since, so far, there are no findings available that speak about the role of the need for affect in social contexts, the second study used married couples. Results showed that individuals with a higher need to approach emotion inducing situations love their spouses more intensely, and show their love to them in more ways. Overall, results indicate that the need for affect plays a significant role in marital relations, and pose important questions for further research studies. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT