Affection & Intimacy
Close social relationships are critical to human health and wellbeing. Our ability to form and maintain these relationships is closely linked to how we share affection and intimacy. We study how affectionate and intimate behaviours contribute to human relationships. We also explore how affectionate communication impacts mental health, physical health, and relationship satisfaction.
Example Publications
Dueren, A.L., Perach, R., Banissy, J.F.M., Bowling, N.C., Gregory, A.M., & Banissy, M.J. (In press). Associations between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults: A systematic review. Journal of Sleep Research. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13504
Dueren, A.L., Vafeiadou, A., Edgar, C., & Banissy, M.J. (2021). The influence of duration, arm crossing style, gender, and emotional closeness on hugging behaviour. Acta Psychologia, 221, 103441 doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103441.