A Brassard
Biographic Data
| ID | 10997 |
|---|---|
| NAME | A Brassard |
| GIVEN NAMES | A |
| FAMILY NAME | Brassard |
| SIGNATURE | BRASSARD A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Université de Sherbrooke |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2292-1519 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 47 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 133 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 47 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Sexual Coercion Within Romantic Relationships
The role of sexual communication patterns in the longitudinal associations between romantic attachment and sexual satisfaction
Cross-sectional associations between greater attachment insecurities (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) and lower sexual satisfaction are well documented. However, little is known about these associations over time and their explanatory mechanisms. One such potential mechanism is sexual communication, given that attachment insecurities can complicate discussing sexual matters and that positive sexual communication is a pathway toward greater sexual sa…
Navigating Cyber Intimate Partner Violence and Conflict
Young adult couples frequently use text messages to discuss conflicts within their relationship. While face-to-face conflicts have been shown to elicit more negative anticipation and negative emotions in victims of traditional, offline forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) (e.g., psychological and physical) compared with nonvictims, no study has examined how victims of cyber IPV (C-IPV) experience conflicts, either text-based or face-to-face. …
Comparative Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators According to their Referral Type
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health issue with long-lasting consequences, necessitating effective treatments to disrupt its intergenerational transmission. However, the common one-size-fits-all approach in IPV programs may fail to acknowledge the diversity among perpetrators. This study compared three types of IPV perpetrators entering treatment: self-referred, legally mandated, and formally pressured. Among 1,302 men surveye…
Too Little Too Late
Introduction: Despite the importance of school-based sexual health education (SHE) for enhancing sexual health outcomes, little is known about the SHE youth receive in Spain. Objective: The goal of this research was to shed light on the experience of SHE of Spanish adults. Method: Participants were 524 Spaniards (73% women, 27% men) between 18 to 70 years of age (M = 35.29, SD = 11.68) who completed an on-line survey. This survey collected inform…
Am I allowed to cry? Men’s childhood trauma is associated with greater psychological distress, through higher masculine discrepancy stress and emotion dysregulation
Exploring the Roles of Attachment, Trauma, and Personality Factors on Therapeutic Goals Achievement among Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators
Attachment Insecurities and Intimate Partner Violence
Being Parents and Lovers
The Moderating Role of Partner Support in the Links Between Body Image Concerns and Sexual Satisfaction Among Couples Transitioning to Parenthood
New parent couples often experience fluctuations in postpartum sexual satisfaction, with body image concerns being a significant factor. While these concerns are linked to decreased sexual satisfaction, potential protective factors remain underexplored. In this study, we examined the moderating role of perceived partner support in the longitudinal links between new parents' own body image concerns and both their own and their partner's sexual sat…
Reproductive Journeys
Quantitative studies on mixed-sex/gender couples show that infertility and medically assisted reproduction (MAR) impact psychological and relational well-being, emphasizing the need for patient-centered care. However, little is known about the experiences of 2S/LGBTQIA+ couples who primarily seek MAR due to social infertility. While qualitative findings suggest unique barriers to sensitive care, quantitative comparisons remain limited. This study…
A longitudinal mediation analysis of relationship catastrophizing, perceived partner support, and sexual well-being in couples seeking medically assisted reproduction
Couples navigating medically assisted reproduction (MAR) may respond to relationship stressors by catastrophizing. Catastrophizers may be more likely to seek support indirectly; partners may miss these cues such that their responses are seen as unsupportive, which may impact sexual desire and distress. We investigated whether relationship catastrophizing predicted lower sexual desire and greater sexual distress, via lower perceived partner suppor…
Dispositional and communicated dyadic perspective-taking during conflicts and intimate partner violence perpetration in young adult couples
Understanding others' thoughts and feelings (i.e., perspective-taking) has consistently been recognized as a crucial protective factor against intimate partner violence (IPV). However, previous research has predominantly focused on dispositional perspective-taking, assessed through self-report measures, and has often overlooked communicated perspective-taking, assessed through observational measures, even though it may play a critical role in pre…
Stress of not being “man enough”
Intergenerational Childhood Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence, Maternal Psychological Distress, and Physical Injury Victimization in Emerging Adults
Associations Between Contents of Pornography and Sexual Satisfaction and Function Among Young Adults
Pornography offers a wide variety of sexual contents and has documented potential positive (e.g., higher sexual satisfaction) and negative associations (e.g., lower sexual function) with sexuality. The aims of this study were to describe the proportion of use of five different contents of pornography (i.e. group sex, passion and romance, gender-bending, taboo transgression and forbidden sex, power, control, and rough sex pornography), to examine …
Cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma and parental stress
Parents who have experienced cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma (CCIT, i.e., an accumulation of different types of abuse) tend to experience higher parental stress following the birth of a child. As CCIT is associated with lower levels of partner support, which is linked to increased parental stress, partner support could explain the link between CCIT and parental stress. Yet, these variables have never been studied using a dyadic approach…
Sexual exchanges explain the association between attachment insecurities and sexual satisfaction in long-term couples
Although attachment insecurity has been linked to sexual dissatisfaction in cross-sectional research, little is known about the mechanisms by which attachment is associated with sexual satisfaction over time. This study examined the role of attachment insecurities in sexual satisfaction over time using the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction (IEMSS) as a theoretical framework. Participants were 151 Canadian mixed-gender couples in…
Ninety years after Lewin
Drawing on the literature on person-culture fit, we investigated how culture (assessed as national-level familism), personality (tapped by attachment styles) and their interactions predicted social network characteristics in 21 nations/areas ( N = 2977). Multilevel mixed modeling showed that familism predicted smaller network size but greater density, tie strength, and multiplexity. Attachment avoidance predicted smaller network size, and lower d…
I did not expect that from you
After experiencing a relational transgression, individuals may not forgive their partner. However, unforgiveness may prove detrimental to relationship functioning for both partners, and even more so when combined with individual and relational risk factors. This study examined the associations between unforgiveness dimensions (cognitive-evaluative, emotional-ruminative, and offender reconstrual) and relationship under-commitment in couples who ex…
Social media jealousy and intimate partner violence in young adults’ romantic relationships
Dyadic coping and sexual well‐being in couples seeking assisted reproductive technology
Positive relationship adaptation of couples transitioning to parenthood
Attachment and Breakup Distress
Breakups are common among emerging adults and are associated with elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms, especially in the presence of attachment insecurities. Previous authors have suggested that inadequate coping strategies might explain this association, yet this has not been examined longitudinally. This study examined the mediating role of five coping strategies (self-help, approach, accommodation, avoidance, self-punishment) in the longi…
Explaining the Association Between Childhood Maltreatment and Psychological Adjustment in Youth in a Romantic Relationship
Attachment Insecurities and Women's Sexual Function and Satisfaction
We examined the potential role of three mediators--sexual self-esteem, sexual anxiety, and sexual assertiveness--of the association between romantic attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) and two aspects of women's sexual functioning: sexual function and sexual satisfaction. A sample of 556 women aged 18 to 30 agreed to complete an online series of validated questionnaires assessing attachment insecurities and several aspects of sexual f…
A dyadic approach to the study of romantic attachment, dyadic empathy, and psychological partner aggression
This study examined the intrapersonal, dyadic, and mediational relationships underlying romantic attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships), dyadic empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index for Couples), and psychological partner aggression (Revised Conflict Tactics Scales) in 193 community-based couples. In women, attachment insecurity predicted lower dyadic empathy and greater psychological aggression. In men, attachment insecurity predicted…
Coping with global uncertainty
Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the "new normal"-social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator betwee…
Sexuality Examined Through the Lens of Attachment Theory
Attachment researchers have proposed that the attachment, caregiving, and sexual behavioral systems are interrelated in adult love relationships (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007 ). This study examined whether aspects of partners' caregiving (proximity, sensitivity, control, compulsive caregiving) mediated the association between their attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) and each other's sexual satisfaction in two samples of committed couple…
Attachment, Sexual Assertiveness, and Sexual Outcomes in Women with Provoked Vestibulodynia and Their Partners
Why do you have sex and does it make you feel better? Integrating attachment theory, sexual motives, and sexual well-being in long-term couples
Attachment theory postulates that three behavioral systems are central to optimal couple functioning: attachment, caregiving, and sex. However, few studies have examined the concurrent contribution of these systems to understand sexual well-being. This daily diary study examined the intermediary role of attachment- and caregiving-related sexual motives in the associations linking attachment insecurities and positive and negative emotions during s…
Romantic Attachment and Sexual Satisfaction Trajectories Among Couples Transitioning to Parenthood
The transition to parenthood (TTP) is an exciting yet destabilizing time for couples. First-time parents may experience changes in their sexual satisfaction during the TTP, but little is known about the factors associated with these changes. Romantic attachment might help understand why some new parents experience a decrease in sexual satisfaction while others do not. This prospective and dyadic study aimed to examine new parents' sexual satisfac…
Measuring adult romantic attachment
The Experiences in Close Relationships (Brennan et al, Attachment theory and close relationships, 1998) questionnaire is one of the most widely used measures of adult romantic attachment. Despite the advantages of the ECR, the length of this measure may discourage its use in clinical and research contexts. Consequently, the goal of this study was to develop a brief Spanish version of the ECR questionnaire and to examine its psychometric propertie…
Associations Between Contents of Pornography and Sexual Satisfaction and Function Among Young Adults
Pornography offers a wide variety of sexual contents and has documented potential positive (e.g., higher sexual satisfaction) and negative associations (e.g., lower sexual function) with sexuality. The aims of this study were to describe the proportion of use of five different contents of pornography (i.e. group sex, passion and romance, gender-bending, taboo transgression and forbidden sex, power, control, and rough sex pornography), to examine …
Ninety years after Lewin
Drawing on the literature on person-culture fit, we investigated how culture (assessed as national-level familism), personality (tapped by attachment styles) and their interactions predicted social network characteristics in 21 nations/areas ( N = 2977). Multilevel mixed modeling showed that familism predicted smaller network size but greater density, tie strength, and multiplexity. Attachment avoidance predicted smaller network size, and lower d…
Moving forward together, stronger, and closer
Some couples find in infertility the bonding opportunities that reinforce their relationship. Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study examined marital benefits in three couples seeking fertility treatment. Interviews revealed five types of benefits: being engaged in a shared hardship, feeling closer to one another, feeling reassured in the relationship, developing a satisfying communication and support behaviors, and having …
Sexual exchanges explain the association between attachment insecurities and sexual satisfaction in long-term couples
Although attachment insecurity has been linked to sexual dissatisfaction in cross-sectional research, little is known about the mechanisms by which attachment is associated with sexual satisfaction over time. This study examined the role of attachment insecurities in sexual satisfaction over time using the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction (IEMSS) as a theoretical framework. Participants were 151 Canadian mixed-gender couples in…
I did not expect that from you
After experiencing a relational transgression, individuals may not forgive their partner. However, unforgiveness may prove detrimental to relationship functioning for both partners, and even more so when combined with individual and relational risk factors. This study examined the associations between unforgiveness dimensions (cognitive-evaluative, emotional-ruminative, and offender reconstrual) and relationship under-commitment in couples who ex…
Romantic Attachment and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Individuals Seeking Help
Dispositional and communicated dyadic perspective-taking during conflicts and intimate partner violence perpetration in young adult couples
Understanding others' thoughts and feelings (i.e., perspective-taking) has consistently been recognized as a crucial protective factor against intimate partner violence (IPV). However, previous research has predominantly focused on dispositional perspective-taking, assessed through self-report measures, and has often overlooked communicated perspective-taking, assessed through observational measures, even though it may play a critical role in pre…
Cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma and parental stress
Parents who have experienced cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma (CCIT, i.e., an accumulation of different types of abuse) tend to experience higher parental stress following the birth of a child. As CCIT is associated with lower levels of partner support, which is linked to increased parental stress, partner support could explain the link between CCIT and parental stress. Yet, these variables have never been studied using a dyadic approach…
Toward an Integrative Model of Intimacy, Sexual Satisfaction, and Relationship Satisfaction
Sexual and relationship well-being are strongly intertwined in couple relationships. However, relationship quality is generally examined through relationship satisfaction only, neglecting the importance of sexual satisfaction as an aspect of relationship quality for many couples. Moreover, considering the role of interpersonal processes, such as intimacy, in relationship quality seems essential to better understand couples' optimal functioning. A…
I Was Trying to Be the Mother to Her That I Didn’t Have
Child sexual abuse (CSA) can have lasting negative impacts on one's sense of safety and trust, ultimately affecting the quality of relationships, and increasing the likelihood of future victimization experiences. The present study provides a qualitative description of the themes that were generated through interviews conducted with 23 mothers who experienced CSA (dis)continuity (12 continuity, 11 discontinuity). The mothers described a variety of…
Attachment, sexual experience, and sexual pressure in romantic relationships
The goal of this research was to extend the previously documented associations between attachment style and sexual experiences in samples of adolescents and college students to adult couples in committed romantic relationships. A sample of 273 French‐Canadian heterosexual couples aged 18–35 years completed measures of attachment‐related anxiety and avoidance, sexual coercion, and sexual experiences in their relationships. Avoidant attachment was …
A dyadic approach to the study of romantic attachment, dyadic empathy, and psychological partner aggression
This study examined the intrapersonal, dyadic, and mediational relationships underlying romantic attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships), dyadic empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index for Couples), and psychological partner aggression (Revised Conflict Tactics Scales) in 193 community-based couples. In women, attachment insecurity predicted lower dyadic empathy and greater psychological aggression. In men, attachment insecurity predicted…
Attachment Insecurities and Women's Sexual Function and Satisfaction
We examined the potential role of three mediators--sexual self-esteem, sexual anxiety, and sexual assertiveness--of the association between romantic attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) and two aspects of women's sexual functioning: sexual function and sexual satisfaction. A sample of 556 women aged 18 to 30 agreed to complete an online series of validated questionnaires assessing attachment insecurities and several aspects of sexual f…
Sexuality Examined Through the Lens of Attachment Theory
Attachment researchers have proposed that the attachment, caregiving, and sexual behavioral systems are interrelated in adult love relationships (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007 ). This study examined whether aspects of partners' caregiving (proximity, sensitivity, control, compulsive caregiving) mediated the association between their attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) and each other's sexual satisfaction in two samples of committed couple…
Attachment, Sexual Assertiveness, and Sexual Outcomes in Women with Provoked Vestibulodynia and Their Partners
Selecting the Best Items for a Short-Form of the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire
Five studies were conducted to develop a short form of the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) questionnaire with optimal psychometric properties. Study 1 involved Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses of the responses of 2,066 adults, resulting in a 12-item form of the ECR containing the most discriminating items. The psychometric properties of the ECR-12 were further demonstrated in two longitudinal studies of community samples of couples (S…
Child Maltreatment and Polyvictimization as Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence in Women From the General Population of Quebec
This study aimed to (a) evaluate the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and revictimization among a representative sample of 1,001 women living in Quebec, Canada; (b) examine whether IPV was predicted by experiences of child maltreatment; and (c) explore the role of polyvictimization on IPV beyond the effect of any type of exposure. Results indicate the prevalence rates of lifetime IPV (10.5%), IPV over the last year (2.5%), and revict…
Measuring adult romantic attachment
The Experiences in Close Relationships (Brennan et al, Attachment theory and close relationships, 1998) questionnaire is one of the most widely used measures of adult romantic attachment. Despite the advantages of the ECR, the length of this measure may discourage its use in clinical and research contexts. Consequently, the goal of this study was to develop a brief Spanish version of the ECR questionnaire and to examine its psychometric propertie…
Moving forward together, stronger, and closer
Some couples find in infertility the bonding opportunities that reinforce their relationship. Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study examined marital benefits in three couples seeking fertility treatment. Interviews revealed five types of benefits: being engaged in a shared hardship, feeling closer to one another, feeling reassured in the relationship, developing a satisfying communication and support behaviors, and having …
How Relationship Satisfaction and Negative Communication Trajectories Change in Emerging Adults’ Dating Relationships
Early romantic relationships are salient to the development of healthy future relationships. Yet, little is known about the evolution of romantic relationships of emerging adults since most of the research has been conducted on married or well-established couples. The current study aims to examine how relationship satisfaction and negative communication evolve and are interrelated during emerging adulthood. Using age as a time metric, we conducte…
Romantic Attachment, Sex Motives and Sexual Difficulties in Emerging Adults
A growing body of research has revealed that many emerging adults (i.e., aged 18 to 25) experience sexual difficulties. Past studies have emphasized the need to examine sexual difficulties by accounting for sex motives (i.e., reasons for engaging in sex) and by using a trauma-focused or attachment-based framework. This study examined the role of sex motives in the associations among attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) and sexual difficul…
Why do you have sex and does it make you feel better? Integrating attachment theory, sexual motives, and sexual well-being in long-term couples
Attachment theory postulates that three behavioral systems are central to optimal couple functioning: attachment, caregiving, and sex. However, few studies have examined the concurrent contribution of these systems to understand sexual well-being. This daily diary study examined the intermediary role of attachment- and caregiving-related sexual motives in the associations linking attachment insecurities and positive and negative emotions during s…
Coping with global uncertainty
Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the "new normal"-social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator betwee…
Changes in Attachment and Commitment in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood
This study examined whether attachment predicts changes in commitment and whether commitment predicts changes in attachment in both partners during the transition to parenthood. Both partners of 93 couples completed online questionnaires individually at the second trimester of pregnancy and at 4 months postpartum. Autoregressive cross-lagged path analyses based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model tested the bidirectional associations betwe…
Social media jealousy and intimate partner violence in young adults’ romantic relationships
Dyadic coping and sexual well‐being in couples seeking assisted reproductive technology
Positive relationship adaptation of couples transitioning to parenthood
Attachment and Breakup Distress
Breakups are common among emerging adults and are associated with elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms, especially in the presence of attachment insecurities. Previous authors have suggested that inadequate coping strategies might explain this association, yet this has not been examined longitudinally. This study examined the mediating role of five coping strategies (self-help, approach, accommodation, avoidance, self-punishment) in the longi…
Explaining the Association Between Childhood Maltreatment and Psychological Adjustment in Youth in a Romantic Relationship
Examining Associations Between Distress Tolerance, Perceived Covid-19 Threat, and Psychological Outcomes
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant psychological distress worldwide. It is important to enhance our understanding of the interpersonal and intrapersonal processes that can be addressed to promote psychological well-being after experiencing an adverse event like a pandemic. Therefore, to understand the direct and indirect associations between distress tolerance and diverse psychological outcomes following the onset of the COVID-19 pandem…
Are we there for each other? Longitudinal associations between parenting stress and coparenting in parents of preschool and school‐aged children
It is well known that parenthood can be particularly stressful. However, less is known about the stability of parenting stress across children's developmental periods. Certain correlates to parenting stress, such as coparenting support between parents, also appear to play a crucial role in childrearing. The current study aims to shed light on the longitudinal associations between parenting stress during the preschool and school years, along with …
Romantic Attachment and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Individuals Seeking Help
Attachment Injury Severity, Injury-related Stress, Forgiveness, and Sexual Satisfaction in Injured Adult Partners
An attachment injury can occur when one partner violates the assumption that they will provide comfort and caring during a moment of increased need. For injured partners, unresolved attachment injuries can underlie an enduring stress reaction and lower relationship satisfaction. However, no research has examined the associations between the perceived severity of the injury and sexual satisfaction, a central component of relationship well-being. I…
Toward an Integrative Model of Intimacy, Sexual Satisfaction, and Relationship Satisfaction
Sexual and relationship well-being are strongly intertwined in couple relationships. However, relationship quality is generally examined through relationship satisfaction only, neglecting the importance of sexual satisfaction as an aspect of relationship quality for many couples. Moreover, considering the role of interpersonal processes, such as intimacy, in relationship quality seems essential to better understand couples' optimal functioning. A…
I Was Trying to Be the Mother to Her That I Didn’t Have
Child sexual abuse (CSA) can have lasting negative impacts on one's sense of safety and trust, ultimately affecting the quality of relationships, and increasing the likelihood of future victimization experiences. The present study provides a qualitative description of the themes that were generated through interviews conducted with 23 mothers who experienced CSA (dis)continuity (12 continuity, 11 discontinuity). The mothers described a variety of…
Psychology (41 works) · Developmental psychology (35 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (33 works) · Social Psychology (30 works) · Clinical Psychology (26 works) · Social Psychology (20 works) · Clinical Psychology (19 works) · Medicine (19 works) · Psychiatry (17 works) · Anxiety (16 works)