Marieke Dewitte
Biographic Data
| ID | 770440 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Marieke Dewitte |
| GIVEN NAMES | Marieke |
| FAMILY NAME | Dewitte |
| SIGNATURE | DEWITTE M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Maastricht University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7265-8715 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 74 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 18 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Sexual Synchrony During Partnered Sex
There is growing interest in understanding how sexual arousal unfolds between partners, and how this may change over the course of a relationship and in the face of sexual distress. To capture the variable, dynamic, and dyadic nature of sexual responding, this paper introduces the concept of sexual synchrony, defined as the temporal, reciprocal, and coordinated interchange between partners' subjective and genital sexual arousal. Sexual synchrony …
A Network Analysis of the Fear Avoidance Model of Genital Pain
Using a novel data-driven network approach, this study aimed to examine the interconnection between the key elements of the Fear-Avoidance Model of female genital pain - sexual arousal, fear-avoidant cognitions, and motivational coping - and its associated factors to predict the intensity and frequency of genital pain across women over time. Network modeling allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of the Fear-Avoidance model while capturing the dy…
Fear Learning in Genital Pain
Although fear learning mechanisms are implicated in the development, maintenance, exacerbation, and reduction of genital pain, systematic research on how fear of genital pain emerges, spreads, persists, and reemerges after treatment is lacking. This paper provides an overview of the literature on pain-related fear, integrates the ideas on learning and sexual arousal responding, and specifies the pathways through which compromised learning may con…
The Role of Dyadic Sexual Desire Similarity in Predicting Sexual Behaviors in Cohabitating Couples
Although researchers are increasingly paying attention to the dyadic nature of sexual desire and its relevance to sexual and relational outcomes, our understanding of how sexual desire operates on a couple level and how it may influence the occurrence of sexual activity in relationships remains limited. This study used ecological momentary assessments to explore to what extent similarity in levels of desire for sex with one's sexual partner, or d…
Female Genital Arousal
"El síndrome talasémico está formado por un grupo heterogéneo de alteraciones hereditarias, caracterizadas por defectos en la síntesis de una o más de las cadenas de globina que componen el tetrámero de la hemoglobina (Hb). El síndrome clínico asociado con talasemia se produce por una correlación inadecuada de la producción de la Hb y el desbalance y acumulación de un determinado tipo de cadenas de globina. La particularidad de uno de esos tipos,…
Daily Sexual Behavior, Sexual Esteem, and Body Image in Transgender and Cisgender Individuals
Multiple surveys have suggested that transgender individuals show lower sexual well-being than cisgender individuals. Most studies, however, are limited in terms of ecological validity and memory bias and cross-sectional in nature. These issues are less prevalent in diary studies monitoring responses over time at home. For three weeks, 47 transgender ( M age = 29.00, SD = 11.62) and 52 cisgender individuals ( M age = 32.90, SD = 11.44) reported d…
Sexual Self-Concept Discrepancies Mediate the Relation between Gender Dysphoria Sexual Esteem and Sexual Attitudes in Binary Transgender Individuals
Sexual responding in transgender people has typically been investigated from a medical and functional perspective. Aligning with the biopsychosocial model, it is however equally important to consider psychological aspects of sexuality in this population. We propose that the Sexual Self-Concept (SSC) theory offers a valuable framework to understand (sexual) wellbeing in transgender people, while Self-Concept Discrepancy (SCD) theory could offer an…
Relationship Context Moderates Couple Congruence in Ratings of Sexual Arousal and Pain During Vaginal Sensations in the Laboratory
Genital pain is a social experience that needs to be studied as a dyadic interaction between partners. The present study relied on a sample of 42 heterosexual couples to examine the level of congruence between both partners' ratings of pain and sexual arousal in response to experimentally induced vaginal pressure that served as a simulation of vaginal sensations during penetration. We also inferred the men's ability to estimate their partner's le…
The Role of Inhibitory Control Mechanisms in the Regulation of Sexual Behavior
Sexual behavior is the open manifestation of a complex interplay between psychophysiological mechanisms that either facilitate or inhibit sexual thoughts, desires, and associated behaviors. Whereas sexual excitation has been widely studied, less is known about the impact of inhibitory control mechanisms that enable individuals to refrain from sexual cognition and behavior. The present study examined: (1) the relationship between general and sexua…
More Precise Estimation of Lower-Level Interaction Effects in Multilevel Models
In hierarchical data, the effect of a lower-level predictor on a lower-level outcome may often be confounded by an (un)measured upper-level factor. When such confounding is left unaddressed, the effect of the lower-level predictor is estimated with bias. Separating this effect into a within- and between-component removes such bias in a linear random intercept model under a specific set of assumptions for the confounder. When the effect of the low…
Exploring the Link Between Daily Relationship Quality, Sexual Desire, and Sexual Activity in Couples
Current models of sexual responding emphasize the role of contextual and relational factors in shaping sexual behavior. The present study used a prospective diary design to examine the temporal sequence and variability of the link between sexual and relationship variables in a sample of couples. Studying sexual responding in the everyday context of the relationship is necessary to get research more aligned with the complex reality of having sex i…
The associations of intimacy and sexuality in daily life
The experience of emotional intimacy is assumed to play a particularly large role in maintaining sexual desire and partnered sexual activity in romantic relationships of longer duration. It is unclear whether the effect of intimacy on sexual contact between partners is direct or indirect, via its impact on sexual desire. Baumeister and Bratslavsky suggested that a certain increment in emotional intimacy causes a greater increment in sexual desire…
Interpersonal Goals and Well-Being in Couples Coping with Genito-Pelvic Pain
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Victims’ Relational and Sexual Well-Being
Gender Differences in Liking and Wanting Sex
Different Perspectives on the Sex-Attachment Link
Although the link between sex and attachment was made decades ago (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), theories on sexual and attachment functioning have been developed in relative isolation. Recent efforts to integrate both literatures have been complicated by the fact that the sex-attachment link has been approached from very different perspectives, including biological, evolutionary, developmental, cognitive, and social psychology approaches. Also, at the …
Adult attachment and attention to positive and negative emotional face expressions
What's in a name? Attachment-related attentional bias
Participants completed a dot probe task that presented pairs of first names: the participant's own name and a neutral name (Experiments 1-4), the name of their attachment figure and a neutral name (Experiments 1-4), or the name of a known person and a neutral name (Experiments 2-4). A significant attentional bias effect was found for the attachment name in attachment-related contexts, whether they were threatening or positive. The results of Expe…
Different Perspectives on the Sex-Attachment Link
Although the link between sex and attachment was made decades ago (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), theories on sexual and attachment functioning have been developed in relative isolation. Recent efforts to integrate both literatures have been complicated by the fact that the sex-attachment link has been approached from very different perspectives, including biological, evolutionary, developmental, cognitive, and social psychology approaches. Also, at the …
The associations of intimacy and sexuality in daily life
The experience of emotional intimacy is assumed to play a particularly large role in maintaining sexual desire and partnered sexual activity in romantic relationships of longer duration. It is unclear whether the effect of intimacy on sexual contact between partners is direct or indirect, via its impact on sexual desire. Baumeister and Bratslavsky suggested that a certain increment in emotional intimacy causes a greater increment in sexual desire…
Adult attachment and attention to positive and negative emotional face expressions
Exploring the Link Between Daily Relationship Quality, Sexual Desire, and Sexual Activity in Couples
Current models of sexual responding emphasize the role of contextual and relational factors in shaping sexual behavior. The present study used a prospective diary design to examine the temporal sequence and variability of the link between sexual and relationship variables in a sample of couples. Studying sexual responding in the everyday context of the relationship is necessary to get research more aligned with the complex reality of having sex i…
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Victims’ Relational and Sexual Well-Being
The Role of Dyadic Sexual Desire Similarity in Predicting Sexual Behaviors in Cohabitating Couples
Although researchers are increasingly paying attention to the dyadic nature of sexual desire and its relevance to sexual and relational outcomes, our understanding of how sexual desire operates on a couple level and how it may influence the occurrence of sexual activity in relationships remains limited. This study used ecological momentary assessments to explore to what extent similarity in levels of desire for sex with one's sexual partner, or d…
Gender Differences in Liking and Wanting Sex
Sexual Self-Concept Discrepancies Mediate the Relation between Gender Dysphoria Sexual Esteem and Sexual Attitudes in Binary Transgender Individuals
Sexual responding in transgender people has typically been investigated from a medical and functional perspective. Aligning with the biopsychosocial model, it is however equally important to consider psychological aspects of sexuality in this population. We propose that the Sexual Self-Concept (SSC) theory offers a valuable framework to understand (sexual) wellbeing in transgender people, while Self-Concept Discrepancy (SCD) theory could offer an…
Interpersonal Goals and Well-Being in Couples Coping with Genito-Pelvic Pain
Daily Sexual Behavior, Sexual Esteem, and Body Image in Transgender and Cisgender Individuals
Multiple surveys have suggested that transgender individuals show lower sexual well-being than cisgender individuals. Most studies, however, are limited in terms of ecological validity and memory bias and cross-sectional in nature. These issues are less prevalent in diary studies monitoring responses over time at home. For three weeks, 47 transgender ( M age = 29.00, SD = 11.62) and 52 cisgender individuals ( M age = 32.90, SD = 11.44) reported d…
What's in a name? Attachment-related attentional bias
Participants completed a dot probe task that presented pairs of first names: the participant's own name and a neutral name (Experiments 1-4), the name of their attachment figure and a neutral name (Experiments 1-4), or the name of a known person and a neutral name (Experiments 2-4). A significant attentional bias effect was found for the attachment name in attachment-related contexts, whether they were threatening or positive. The results of Expe…
Adult attachment and attention to positive and negative emotional face expressions
Different Perspectives on the Sex-Attachment Link
Although the link between sex and attachment was made decades ago (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), theories on sexual and attachment functioning have been developed in relative isolation. Recent efforts to integrate both literatures have been complicated by the fact that the sex-attachment link has been approached from very different perspectives, including biological, evolutionary, developmental, cognitive, and social psychology approaches. Also, at the …
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Victims’ Relational and Sexual Well-Being
Gender Differences in Liking and Wanting Sex
Interpersonal Goals and Well-Being in Couples Coping with Genito-Pelvic Pain
More Precise Estimation of Lower-Level Interaction Effects in Multilevel Models
In hierarchical data, the effect of a lower-level predictor on a lower-level outcome may often be confounded by an (un)measured upper-level factor. When such confounding is left unaddressed, the effect of the lower-level predictor is estimated with bias. Separating this effect into a within- and between-component removes such bias in a linear random intercept model under a specific set of assumptions for the confounder. When the effect of the low…
Exploring the Link Between Daily Relationship Quality, Sexual Desire, and Sexual Activity in Couples
Current models of sexual responding emphasize the role of contextual and relational factors in shaping sexual behavior. The present study used a prospective diary design to examine the temporal sequence and variability of the link between sexual and relationship variables in a sample of couples. Studying sexual responding in the everyday context of the relationship is necessary to get research more aligned with the complex reality of having sex i…
The associations of intimacy and sexuality in daily life
The experience of emotional intimacy is assumed to play a particularly large role in maintaining sexual desire and partnered sexual activity in romantic relationships of longer duration. It is unclear whether the effect of intimacy on sexual contact between partners is direct or indirect, via its impact on sexual desire. Baumeister and Bratslavsky suggested that a certain increment in emotional intimacy causes a greater increment in sexual desire…
Relationship Context Moderates Couple Congruence in Ratings of Sexual Arousal and Pain During Vaginal Sensations in the Laboratory
Genital pain is a social experience that needs to be studied as a dyadic interaction between partners. The present study relied on a sample of 42 heterosexual couples to examine the level of congruence between both partners' ratings of pain and sexual arousal in response to experimentally induced vaginal pressure that served as a simulation of vaginal sensations during penetration. We also inferred the men's ability to estimate their partner's le…
The Role of Inhibitory Control Mechanisms in the Regulation of Sexual Behavior
Sexual behavior is the open manifestation of a complex interplay between psychophysiological mechanisms that either facilitate or inhibit sexual thoughts, desires, and associated behaviors. Whereas sexual excitation has been widely studied, less is known about the impact of inhibitory control mechanisms that enable individuals to refrain from sexual cognition and behavior. The present study examined: (1) the relationship between general and sexua…
Sexual Self-Concept Discrepancies Mediate the Relation between Gender Dysphoria Sexual Esteem and Sexual Attitudes in Binary Transgender Individuals
Sexual responding in transgender people has typically been investigated from a medical and functional perspective. Aligning with the biopsychosocial model, it is however equally important to consider psychological aspects of sexuality in this population. We propose that the Sexual Self-Concept (SSC) theory offers a valuable framework to understand (sexual) wellbeing in transgender people, while Self-Concept Discrepancy (SCD) theory could offer an…
Female Genital Arousal
"El síndrome talasémico está formado por un grupo heterogéneo de alteraciones hereditarias, caracterizadas por defectos en la síntesis de una o más de las cadenas de globina que componen el tetrámero de la hemoglobina (Hb). El síndrome clínico asociado con talasemia se produce por una correlación inadecuada de la producción de la Hb y el desbalance y acumulación de un determinado tipo de cadenas de globina. La particularidad de uno de esos tipos,…
Daily Sexual Behavior, Sexual Esteem, and Body Image in Transgender and Cisgender Individuals
Multiple surveys have suggested that transgender individuals show lower sexual well-being than cisgender individuals. Most studies, however, are limited in terms of ecological validity and memory bias and cross-sectional in nature. These issues are less prevalent in diary studies monitoring responses over time at home. For three weeks, 47 transgender ( M age = 29.00, SD = 11.62) and 52 cisgender individuals ( M age = 32.90, SD = 11.44) reported d…
Fear Learning in Genital Pain
Although fear learning mechanisms are implicated in the development, maintenance, exacerbation, and reduction of genital pain, systematic research on how fear of genital pain emerges, spreads, persists, and reemerges after treatment is lacking. This paper provides an overview of the literature on pain-related fear, integrates the ideas on learning and sexual arousal responding, and specifies the pathways through which compromised learning may con…
The Role of Dyadic Sexual Desire Similarity in Predicting Sexual Behaviors in Cohabitating Couples
Although researchers are increasingly paying attention to the dyadic nature of sexual desire and its relevance to sexual and relational outcomes, our understanding of how sexual desire operates on a couple level and how it may influence the occurrence of sexual activity in relationships remains limited. This study used ecological momentary assessments to explore to what extent similarity in levels of desire for sex with one's sexual partner, or d…
Sexual Synchrony During Partnered Sex
There is growing interest in understanding how sexual arousal unfolds between partners, and how this may change over the course of a relationship and in the face of sexual distress. To capture the variable, dynamic, and dyadic nature of sexual responding, this paper introduces the concept of sexual synchrony, defined as the temporal, reciprocal, and coordinated interchange between partners' subjective and genital sexual arousal. Sexual synchrony …
A Network Analysis of the Fear Avoidance Model of Genital Pain
Using a novel data-driven network approach, this study aimed to examine the interconnection between the key elements of the Fear-Avoidance Model of female genital pain - sexual arousal, fear-avoidant cognitions, and motivational coping - and its associated factors to predict the intensity and frequency of genital pain across women over time. Network modeling allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of the Fear-Avoidance model while capturing the dy…
Psychology (16 works) · Developmental psychology (15 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Clinical Psychology (8 works) · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior (7 works) · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology (7 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (6 works) · Sexual behavior (6 works) · Sexual function and dysfunction studies (6 works) · Social Psychology (6 works)