Publication
Cortisol Linkage, Stress, and Perceived Partner Responsiveness Across the Transition to Parenthood
07.11.2025
Within a relationship, stress might be shared and co-regulated between the partners at the physiological
level, through cortisol linkage. Cortisol is sensitive to social inputs, and cortisol linkage may reflect stress-related
dynamics in a couple or positive relational processes, such as marital distress or shared moments. For
many couples, the transition to parenthood is accompanied by acute or chronic stressors that can impact
the relationship. Concurrently, having a supportive and responsive partner becomes an important resource to
adapt to the manifold changes. These relational processes may also play a role with respect to cortisol
linkage. The current article reports a study that examined changes of cortisol linkage across the transition to
parenthood, and whether high levels of psychological stress and perceived partner responsiveness were
associated with stronger cortisol linkage. We used data from a longitudinal study of 120 couples (N = 240)
who transitioned to parenthood. Participants collected saliva samples and completed an ecological momentary
assessment over three consecutive days, during pregnancy, at 6 months and at 18 months postpartum. Cortisol
linkage among partners was significant and positive, increased in strength from pregnancy to 6 months
postpartum, and remained stable from 6 months to 18 months postpartum. Within-couples, higher levels of
psychological stress were associated with a stronger linkage between partners, while higher perceived partner
responsiveness was associated with a weaker cortisol linkage. These findings provide further evidence of
cortisol linkage during the transition to parenthood, and its associations with positive and negative relational
processes.
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Conférence
Innovations in Interpersonal Relationships and Health Research
01.07.2025
Intra- and interpersonal effects of social sharing of negative
experiences on emotions and couples’ interactions. Dr. Marianne Richter, MSc Arusha Kapil, Prof. Dr. Dominik Schoebi
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NEW ARTICLE
Relationship Beliefs and Relationship Satisfaction: Perceived Relationship Power Imbalance as a Mediator
19.05.2025
This study investigated the role of relationship beliefs in relationship satisfaction among Spanish-speaking heterosexual couples and explored the mediating role of perceived relationship power imbalance…
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12.05.2025
Dans le cadre d’exposés et d’ateliers, des spécialistes de différentes disciplines aborderont des aspects de prévention et d’intervention lors de séparations/divorces impliquant de la violence domestique.…
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Nouvel article
Perceived partner responsiveness across the transition to parenthood: The role of attachment insecurity
21.04.2025
During challenging periods like the transition to parenthood, support from one’s partner
becomes of vital importance for maintaining a healthy relationship. Responsiveness
describes that relationship…
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Nouvel article
Does Romantic Partner Support Buffer the Effect of Attachment Insecurities on Negative Emotions? A Systematic Review
24.03.2025
We systematically reviewed the empirical research on whether a romantic partner’s support buffers the positive association between attachment insecurity and negative emotions. PubMed, PsychInfo, and Web…
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Formation continue
CAS en représentation de l'enfant
17.03.2025
Le programme vise à permettre aux professionnel·le·s d’acquérir des compétences et de valoriser des pratiques. Il met l'accent sur le développement de la compréhension spécifique des rôles des représentant∙e·s…
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Article
DES ENFANTS VIOLENTS
16.12.2024
Taboues, les violences des enfants envers leurs parents seraient un phénomène en augmentation. /
Article parut dans LA LIBERTÉ le lundi 16 décembre 2024 et citant entre autre notre Gaëlle Droz-Sauthier.
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NEW ARTICLE
Rejection in romantic relationships: Does
rejection sensitivity modulate emotional
responses to perceptions of negative
interactions?
02.07.2024
Rejection is a highly stressful experience and individuals tend to avoid it whenever possible. In
intimate relationships, experiences of rejection can shape the interaction dynamics between partners.…
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NEW ARTICLE
Attachment insecurities, emotion dynamics
and stress in intimate relationships during the
transition to parenthood
02.07.2024
In intimate relationships, which are characterized by emotional interdependence, partners act as
attachment figures which serve emotion regulation functions. The experience of emotions as well as the…
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