Anik Debrot
Biographic Data
| ID | 77927 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Anik Debrot |
| GIVEN NAMES | Anik |
| FAMILY NAME | Debrot |
| SIGNATURE | DEBROT A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Lausanne |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9681-7271 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 35 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Récits de deuils périnataux paternels: Une analyse qualitative intégrant les tâches familiales
Le deuil vécu par les pères après une mort périnatale demeure méconnu et sous-représenté, tant dans la recherche que dans les systèmes de soutien. À partir de 45 entretiens semi-dirigés menés auprès de pères endeuillés francophones pour un travail de thèse mené dans le cadre du projet ANR PERINAT, cet article étudie les métaphores employées par les pères pour décrire leur expérience de deuil périnatal. Les résultats montrent que les métaphores de…
Affectionate touch frequency is not always associated with well-being: A comparison of Latin American and Swiss samples
Affectionate touch is a consistent predictor of well-being; however, relevant studies have mostly been conducted in individualistic cultural settings, such as Switzerland and the United States. Moreover, cross-cultural studies on affectionate touch have largely failed to assess the measurement invariance of their measures. The Latin-American cultural context fosters warm exchanges in close relationships, based on “convivial collectivism” values. …
Women Are Slightly More Sexually Satisfied in Their Romantic Relationships Than Men: An Integrative Data Analytic Approach
Touch as a Stress Buffer? Gender Differences in Subjective and Physiological Responses to Partner and Stranger Touch
Interpersonal touch buffers against stress under challenging conditions, but this effect depends on familiarity. People benefit from receiving touch from their romantic partners, but the results are less consistent in the context of receiving touch from an opposite-gender stranger. We propose that there may be important gender differences in how people respond to touch from opposite-gender strangers. Specifically, we propose that touch from an op…
Accounts of interpersonal touch in female victims of intimate partner violence: A qualitative study
Crucial for human development and functioning, affectionate touch predicts well-being. However, most research on affectionate touch in romantic relationship is conducted with samples in high quality relationships and relies on quantitative methods. We thus know little to nothing about how touch is experienced in low-quality relationships, namely those characterized by intimate partner violence (IPV). To fill this gap, victims of physical and/or s…
Connecting through touch: Attitudes toward touch in pregnancy are associated with couples' sexual and affectionate behaviors across the transition to parenthood
Touch is a universal nonverbal action often used by romantic partners to demonstrate affection and care for each other. Attitudes toward touch might be particularly relevant across periods of relational strain-such as the transition to parenthood-when couples face many novel stressors and shifting priorities which can interfere with their sexual and affectionate experiences. New parent couples ( N = 203) completed self-report measures online acro…
Love in the Time of Covid: Perceived Partner Responsiveness Buffers People From Lower Relationship Quality Associated With Covid-Related Stressors
External stressors can erode relationship quality, though little is known about what can mitigate these effects. We examined whether COVID-related stressors were associated with lower relationship quality, and whether perceived partner responsiveness—the extent to which people believe their partner understands, validates, and cares for them—buffers these effects. When people in relationships reported more COVID-related stressors they reported poo…
Affectionate communication, health, and relationships
A robust body of research attests to the mental and physical health correlates and consequences of affectionate communication. Like much research on personal relationships, however, this work may overrepresent certain portions of the population, may underrepresent others, and may not effectively account for intersections of identities. We define intersectionality as comprising the unique effects of two or more social identities interacting with e…
Relationship difficulties and "technoference" during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched many aspects of people's lives around the world, including their romantic relationships. While media outlets have reported that the pandemic is difficult for couples, empirical evidence is needed to test these claims and understand why this may be. In two highly powered studies ( N = 3271) using repeated measure and longitudinal approaches, we found that people who experienced COVID-19 related challenges (i.e., l…
Is Touch in Romantic Relationships Universally Beneficial for Psychological Well-Being? The Role of Attachment Avoidance
Affectionate touch is crucial for well-being. However, attachment avoidance is associated with negative attitudes toward touch. We tested two preregistered hypotheses about how attachment avoidance influences the association between touch in romantic couples and psychological well-being. We examined whether greater attachment avoidance is associated with a reduced link between touch and well-being, and/or whether reduced touch mediates the relati…
Hope May Come From Internet in Times of Covid-19: Building an Online Programme for Grief (Livia)
Keywords: internet-based interventions for mental health, coronavirus—COVID-19, interpersonal loss, grief, mourning (bereavement), marital separation/divorce
Can we use smart-phones to increase physical affection, intimacy and security in couples? Preliminary support from an attachment perspective
This study investigated whether physical affection is causally associated with momentary intimacy and security by manipulating physical affection. We used a GPS-based smart-phone application as ecological momentary intervention that prompted participants to show physical affection to their partner when they were in the same location. We also investigated whether attachment style and attachment functioning moderated the effects of the manipulation…
Approach and avoidance motives for touch are predicted by attachment and predict daily relationship well-being
Research suggests that touch promotes relationship well-being but has failed to consider motives for touch. We assessed general (Study 1) and daily (Study 2) approach and avoidance motives for touch and tested their precursors and consequences. Controlling for relationship quality and the other motive, greater attachment avoidance predicted lower approach and greater avoidance motives for touch in general but did not predict motives in daily life…
Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies
Significance What predicts how happy people are with their romantic relationships? Relationship science—an interdisciplinary field spanning psychology, sociology, economics, family studies, and communication—has identified hundreds of variables that purportedly shape romantic relationship quality. The current project used machine learning to directly quantify and compare the predictive power of many such variables among 11,196 romantic couples. P…
Sexual Nostalgia as a Response to Unmet Sexual and Relational Needs: The Role of Attachment Avoidance
Romantic relationships help people meet needs for connection and emotional and sexual fulfillment. In the current research, we investigate an unexplored response to feeling sexually and relationally unfulfilled: reflecting on positive sexual experiences with past partners (or sexual nostalgia). Across three studies, people low in attachment avoidance (i.e., comfortable with closeness) who were (a) single or (b) sexually or relationally dissatisfi…
Distinguishing Dismissing From Fearful Attachment in the Association Between Closeness and Commitment
When avoidantly attached individuals are simultaneously high in attachment anxiety, they are inclined to experience strong internal conflicts between seeking and avoiding closeness. This research examined whether the extent to which closeness, assessed as the inclusion of other in the self (IOS), is associated with greater commitment varies within individuals high in attachment avoidance as a result of differences in ambivalence toward maintainin…
Positive humor in couples as interpersonal emotion regulation: A dyadic study in everyday life on the mediating role of psychological intimacy
The aim of this study was to investigate daily positive humor in couples as an interpersonal emotion regulation strategy. Associated changes in psychological intimacy were tested as a possible socio-affective pathway of emotion regulation that mediates the effects of couple humor on changes in individual momentary affect. Within a dyadic ambulatory assessment framework, 102 couples reported on their production of positive humor as an attempt to r…
Touch as an Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Process in Couples’ Daily Lives: The Mediating Role of Psychological Intimacy
Interpersonal touch seems to promote physical health through its effects on stress-sensitive parameters. However, less is known about the psychological effects of touch. The present study investigates associations between touch and romantic partners’ affective state in daily life. We hypothesized that this association is established by promoting the recipient’s experience of intimacy. Both partners of 102 dating couples completed an electronic di…
Positive humor in couples as interpersonal emotion regulation: A dyadic study in everyday life on the mediating role of psychological intimacy
The aim of this study was to investigate daily positive humor in couples as an interpersonal emotion regulation strategy. Associated changes in psychological intimacy were tested as a possible socio-affective pathway of emotion regulation that mediates the effects of couple humor on changes in individual momentary affect. Within a dyadic ambulatory assessment framework, 102 couples reported on their production of positive humor as an attempt to r…
Can we use smart-phones to increase physical affection, intimacy and security in couples? Preliminary support from an attachment perspective
This study investigated whether physical affection is causally associated with momentary intimacy and security by manipulating physical affection. We used a GPS-based smart-phone application as ecological momentary intervention that prompted participants to show physical affection to their partner when they were in the same location. We also investigated whether attachment style and attachment functioning moderated the effects of the manipulation…
Approach and avoidance motives for touch are predicted by attachment and predict daily relationship well-being
Research suggests that touch promotes relationship well-being but has failed to consider motives for touch. We assessed general (Study 1) and daily (Study 2) approach and avoidance motives for touch and tested their precursors and consequences. Controlling for relationship quality and the other motive, greater attachment avoidance predicted lower approach and greater avoidance motives for touch in general but did not predict motives in daily life…
Relationship difficulties and "technoference" during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched many aspects of people's lives around the world, including their romantic relationships. While media outlets have reported that the pandemic is difficult for couples, empirical evidence is needed to test these claims and understand why this may be. In two highly powered studies ( N = 3271) using repeated measure and longitudinal approaches, we found that people who experienced COVID-19 related challenges (i.e., l…
Connecting through touch: Attitudes toward touch in pregnancy are associated with couples' sexual and affectionate behaviors across the transition to parenthood
Touch is a universal nonverbal action often used by romantic partners to demonstrate affection and care for each other. Attitudes toward touch might be particularly relevant across periods of relational strain-such as the transition to parenthood-when couples face many novel stressors and shifting priorities which can interfere with their sexual and affectionate experiences. New parent couples ( N = 203) completed self-report measures online acro…
Accounts of interpersonal touch in female victims of intimate partner violence: A qualitative study
Crucial for human development and functioning, affectionate touch predicts well-being. However, most research on affectionate touch in romantic relationship is conducted with samples in high quality relationships and relies on quantitative methods. We thus know little to nothing about how touch is experienced in low-quality relationships, namely those characterized by intimate partner violence (IPV). To fill this gap, victims of physical and/or s…
Touch as an Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Process in Couples’ Daily Lives: The Mediating Role of Psychological Intimacy
Interpersonal touch seems to promote physical health through its effects on stress-sensitive parameters. However, less is known about the psychological effects of touch. The present study investigates associations between touch and romantic partners’ affective state in daily life. We hypothesized that this association is established by promoting the recipient’s experience of intimacy. Both partners of 102 dating couples completed an electronic di…
Distinguishing Dismissing From Fearful Attachment in the Association Between Closeness and Commitment
When avoidantly attached individuals are simultaneously high in attachment anxiety, they are inclined to experience strong internal conflicts between seeking and avoiding closeness. This research examined whether the extent to which closeness, assessed as the inclusion of other in the self (IOS), is associated with greater commitment varies within individuals high in attachment avoidance as a result of differences in ambivalence toward maintainin…
Positive humor in couples as interpersonal emotion regulation: A dyadic study in everyday life on the mediating role of psychological intimacy
The aim of this study was to investigate daily positive humor in couples as an interpersonal emotion regulation strategy. Associated changes in psychological intimacy were tested as a possible socio-affective pathway of emotion regulation that mediates the effects of couple humor on changes in individual momentary affect. Within a dyadic ambulatory assessment framework, 102 couples reported on their production of positive humor as an attempt to r…
Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies
Significance What predicts how happy people are with their romantic relationships? Relationship science—an interdisciplinary field spanning psychology, sociology, economics, family studies, and communication—has identified hundreds of variables that purportedly shape romantic relationship quality. The current project used machine learning to directly quantify and compare the predictive power of many such variables among 11,196 romantic couples. P…
Sexual Nostalgia as a Response to Unmet Sexual and Relational Needs: The Role of Attachment Avoidance
Romantic relationships help people meet needs for connection and emotional and sexual fulfillment. In the current research, we investigate an unexplored response to feeling sexually and relationally unfulfilled: reflecting on positive sexual experiences with past partners (or sexual nostalgia). Across three studies, people low in attachment avoidance (i.e., comfortable with closeness) who were (a) single or (b) sexually or relationally dissatisfi…
Is Touch in Romantic Relationships Universally Beneficial for Psychological Well-Being? The Role of Attachment Avoidance
Affectionate touch is crucial for well-being. However, attachment avoidance is associated with negative attitudes toward touch. We tested two preregistered hypotheses about how attachment avoidance influences the association between touch in romantic couples and psychological well-being. We examined whether greater attachment avoidance is associated with a reduced link between touch and well-being, and/or whether reduced touch mediates the relati…
Hope May Come From Internet in Times of Covid-19: Building an Online Programme for Grief (Livia)
Keywords: internet-based interventions for mental health, coronavirus—COVID-19, interpersonal loss, grief, mourning (bereavement), marital separation/divorce
Can we use smart-phones to increase physical affection, intimacy and security in couples? Preliminary support from an attachment perspective
This study investigated whether physical affection is causally associated with momentary intimacy and security by manipulating physical affection. We used a GPS-based smart-phone application as ecological momentary intervention that prompted participants to show physical affection to their partner when they were in the same location. We also investigated whether attachment style and attachment functioning moderated the effects of the manipulation…
Approach and avoidance motives for touch are predicted by attachment and predict daily relationship well-being
Research suggests that touch promotes relationship well-being but has failed to consider motives for touch. We assessed general (Study 1) and daily (Study 2) approach and avoidance motives for touch and tested their precursors and consequences. Controlling for relationship quality and the other motive, greater attachment avoidance predicted lower approach and greater avoidance motives for touch in general but did not predict motives in daily life…
Relationship difficulties and "technoference" during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched many aspects of people's lives around the world, including their romantic relationships. While media outlets have reported that the pandemic is difficult for couples, empirical evidence is needed to test these claims and understand why this may be. In two highly powered studies ( N = 3271) using repeated measure and longitudinal approaches, we found that people who experienced COVID-19 related challenges (i.e., l…
Love in the Time of Covid: Perceived Partner Responsiveness Buffers People From Lower Relationship Quality Associated With Covid-Related Stressors
External stressors can erode relationship quality, though little is known about what can mitigate these effects. We examined whether COVID-related stressors were associated with lower relationship quality, and whether perceived partner responsiveness—the extent to which people believe their partner understands, validates, and cares for them—buffers these effects. When people in relationships reported more COVID-related stressors they reported poo…
Affectionate communication, health, and relationships
A robust body of research attests to the mental and physical health correlates and consequences of affectionate communication. Like much research on personal relationships, however, this work may overrepresent certain portions of the population, may underrepresent others, and may not effectively account for intersections of identities. We define intersectionality as comprising the unique effects of two or more social identities interacting with e…
Touch as a Stress Buffer? Gender Differences in Subjective and Physiological Responses to Partner and Stranger Touch
Interpersonal touch buffers against stress under challenging conditions, but this effect depends on familiarity. People benefit from receiving touch from their romantic partners, but the results are less consistent in the context of receiving touch from an opposite-gender stranger. We propose that there may be important gender differences in how people respond to touch from opposite-gender strangers. Specifically, we propose that touch from an op…
Accounts of interpersonal touch in female victims of intimate partner violence: A qualitative study
Crucial for human development and functioning, affectionate touch predicts well-being. However, most research on affectionate touch in romantic relationship is conducted with samples in high quality relationships and relies on quantitative methods. We thus know little to nothing about how touch is experienced in low-quality relationships, namely those characterized by intimate partner violence (IPV). To fill this gap, victims of physical and/or s…
Connecting through touch: Attitudes toward touch in pregnancy are associated with couples' sexual and affectionate behaviors across the transition to parenthood
Touch is a universal nonverbal action often used by romantic partners to demonstrate affection and care for each other. Attitudes toward touch might be particularly relevant across periods of relational strain-such as the transition to parenthood-when couples face many novel stressors and shifting priorities which can interfere with their sexual and affectionate experiences. New parent couples ( N = 203) completed self-report measures online acro…
Récits de deuils périnataux paternels: Une analyse qualitative intégrant les tâches familiales
Le deuil vécu par les pères après une mort périnatale demeure méconnu et sous-représenté, tant dans la recherche que dans les systèmes de soutien. À partir de 45 entretiens semi-dirigés menés auprès de pères endeuillés francophones pour un travail de thèse mené dans le cadre du projet ANR PERINAT, cet article étudie les métaphores employées par les pères pour décrire leur expérience de deuil périnatal. Les résultats montrent que les métaphores de…
Affectionate touch frequency is not always associated with well-being: A comparison of Latin American and Swiss samples
Affectionate touch is a consistent predictor of well-being; however, relevant studies have mostly been conducted in individualistic cultural settings, such as Switzerland and the United States. Moreover, cross-cultural studies on affectionate touch have largely failed to assess the measurement invariance of their measures. The Latin-American cultural context fosters warm exchanges in close relationships, based on “convivial collectivism” values. …
Women Are Slightly More Sexually Satisfied in Their Romantic Relationships Than Men: An Integrative Data Analytic Approach
Psychology (15 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (13 works) · Social Psychology (13 works) · Developmental psychology (12 works) · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior (7 works) · Romance (6 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Interpersonal communication (4 works) · Interpersonal relationship (4 works) · Medicine (4 works)