

to the Sexual and Intimate Life Research Lab - SAIL Lab
The SAIL Lab is run by Marie-Pier Vaillancourt-Morel, Ph.D., assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières


The SAIL Lab’s research focuses on sexual well-being, intimate relationships, and the interrelations between both.
Sexuality is an integral aspect of well-being and health and strongly influences relationship happiness. Thus, we are particularly interested in what factors may affect couples’ sexual well-being while taking into account the broader relationship context in which these sexual activities typically occur. In line with this larger aim, our ongoing research projects usually fall under one of these three distinct, but related factors that may affect couples’ sexual well-being:

Pornography use
A large number of partnered individuals regularly use or are in a relationship with someone who uses pornography. Our aim is to better understand if pornography use may affect romantic relationships including sexual activities with the partner. We are also interested in contextual factors such as partners’ attitudes toward pornography use or secrecy surrounding use that may explain when pornography use may have positive or negative effects on romantic relationships.

Sexual violence
We are interested in the effects that sexual violence experienced in childhood or adulthood may have on the victims’ sexual well-being and their romantic relationships. We examine the interrelations between romantic relationship processes and the sexual consequences of sexual violence.

Childhood maltreatment
We are interested in the role of romantic relationship processes in the associations between childhood maltreatment and couples’ sexual well-being. Our aim is to examine if childhood maltreatment – from sexual, psychological and physical abuse to physical and psychological neglect – may affect how victims and their romantic partners interact with each other in their everyday interactions as well as in their sexual life.
We are part of the Interdisciplinary Research Center on Intimate Relationship Problems and Sexual Abuse (CRIPCAS) and the Team SCOUP – Sexuality and Couples

Check our Research Projects page and volunteer for the study that suits you best.

New website for the SAIL Lab!
We are excited to launch the SAIL Lab website! The name “SAIL Lab” is in line with our mission which is to help couples navigate their sexual and intimate life with greater success. The logo was designed by Anne Dussault, thanks Anne for this hard work!
RT @JoshuaGrubbsPhD: Very excited to share this one with you all! It was both a shock & an honor to get an email from the editors at Curr…
Read MoreRT @CRIPCAS: Bravo à Nicolas Berthelot Ph.D. @UQTR pour sa 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞́𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐱 qui vise à étudier et…
Read MoreRT @CRIPCAS: ÉTUDE EN LIGNE SUR LE DÉSIR SEXUEL DES COUPLES Le Laboratoire d’étude de la santé sexuelle dirigé par @DrSBergeron @UMontrea…
Read MoreOur new paper on pornography use on same day of sexual activity with the partner is now published online in Archives of Sexual Behaviour! Want to know how it's related-or not- to sexual function/distress/satisfaction during the partnered sexual activity👉👈 https://t.co/H5jmyH7RP6
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Trying to have a serious zoom conversation with my 6-month old puppy under my office. I feel you seagull! https://t.co/Pj4VgatjAh
Read More@JoshuaGrubbsPhD @JSchleiderPhD @beabothe Thanks Josh for the shout out! You and @beabothe are truly role models to follow for rigorous clinical research on problematic pornography use! I am excited to see what is coming next!
Read More@MayaAYampolsky Félicitations Maya!
Read MoreRT @CRIPCAS: Les premiers résultats de l'étude sur la santé des étudiants et employés des @ReseauUQ viennent d'être publiés. @jacinthedion…
Read More@GauvinSteph Congrats Stéphanie! It was such a great paper!
Read MoreRT @ZUCKERKJ: Online first in Archives of Sexual Behavior by Kohut et al. (2020): Testing the Confluence Model of the Association Between P…
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