Lucia O'Sullivan

Dr. O’Sullivan is not accepting more graduate students at this time.

Research

Dr. O’Sullivan’s research addresses the interface of sexuality and intimate/romantic relationships, including the impact of new digital technologies on close relationships, with a primary focus on adolescents and young adults. Another line of research focuses on sexual violence, and the barriers and facilitators to accessing sexual health care and education.

Her research program frequently incorporates international studies and collaborations (e.g., South Africa, the UK, Guatemala, India and the US). She has published over 175 peerreviewed scientific articles and chapters, co-edited a book on sexual coercion in dating relationships, co-authored a textbook (Understanding Human Sexualitiy) and serves on a wide range of research journal editorial boards.

Education

• B.A. (Hons.) University of New Brunswick
• M.A. (Clinical Psychology) University of New Brunswick
• Ph.D. (Experimental Psychology) Bowling Green State University
• Postdoctoral Research Training (HIV) Columbia University

Selected publications

Bockaj, A., Muise, M., Belu, C. F., Rosen, N. O., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (in press). A mixed-methods approach to the study of sexual performance anxiety in the sexual interaction of adult couples. Journal of Sex Research.

Byers, E. S., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Burkholder, C. (2024). How prepared are teachers to provide sexual health education? American Journal of Sex Education.

Belu, C. F., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2024). It’s just a litle crush: Atraction to an alternative and romantic relationship quality, breakups and infidelity. Journal of Sex Research.

Muise, M. D., Bockaj, A., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Ronis, S. T. (2024). Atachment style and distress in couples experiencing sexual desire discrepancy. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality.

Belu, C. F., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2024). Predictors of infidelity among couples. Expert opinion paper. Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Olthuis, J. V., Connell, E. M., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Byers, E. S. (2023). Does anxiety sensitivity interfere with sexual well-being? Evidence from a community sample. Sexual and Relationship Therapy.

Girouard, A., Dion, J., Štulhofer, A., Bőthe, B., Blais, M., Paquete, M-M., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Bergeron, S. (in press). Orgasm and sexual behavior among adolescents: Differences across genders and dyad configurations. Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Metcalfe, K. B., Cormier, L. A., O’Sullivan, L. F., LaCroix, P., & Lacroix, E. (2023). “I was worshiped and in control:” Sugar arrangements involving transactional sex from the perspective of both sugar babies and sugar benefactors. Journal of Sex Research.

Metcalfe, K. B., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Ronis, S. T. (2023). Examining how bystanders intervene and perpetrators respond to intervention during experiences of sexual aggression. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 32(2), 208-220.

Coon, L. C. H., Metcalfe, K. B., Belu, C. F., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2023). Recalling, reacting but not so much regretting: How young adults describe their sexual and romantic infidelity experiences. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 32(2), 321-331.

Paquete, M-M., Dion, J., Bőthe, B., O’Sullivan, L., Perrier Léonard, D., & Bergeron, S. (2024). How does sexual subjectivity vary on the basis of gender and sexual orientation? Validation of the Short Sexual Subjectivity Inventory (SSSI-12) in cisgender, heterosexual and sexual and gender minority adolescents. Archives of Sexual Behavior.

O’Sullivan, L. F., Belu, C. F., Richard, M. E., & Fuller, R. B. (2023). Did you help? Intervening on behalf of a target during incidents of sexual assault among college student bystanders. Journal of College Student Development, 64(2), 208-224.

Byers, E. S., Olthuis, J. V., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Connell, E. M. (2022). Anxiety sensitivity in the sexual context: Links between sexual anxiety sensitivity and sexual well-being. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy.

Bockaj, A., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2022). Romanticizing the stolen kiss: Men’s and women’s reports of nonconsensual kisses and perceptions of impact on the targets of those kisses. Journal of Sex Research.

Hensel, D. J., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2022). Sexual concurrency among adolescent women with multiple partners: A daily diary study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 71(1), 70-77.

Ronis, S. T., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Cormier, L. A. (2022). Vulnerability and variability: Associations between various early forms of nonconsensual sexual experiences and later sexual experiences of young adults. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 31(1), 8-17.

O’Sullivan, L. F., Belu, C. F., & Garcia, J. R. (2022). Loving you from afar: Atraction to others (“crushes”) among adults in exclusive relationships, communication, perceived outcomes, and expectations of future intimate involvement. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(2), 413-434.

Hensel, D. J., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2022). What makes them last? Predicting time to relationship dissolution in adolescent women’s intimate relationships with male partners. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(2), 393-412.

Girouard, A., Dion, J., Bӧthe, B., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Bergeron, S. (2021). Bullying and sexual wellbeing in adolescence: The mediating role of emotion regulation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50(11), 2136-2150.

O’Sullivan, L. F., Byers, E. S., & Dawson, S. (2021). Individual and relationship predictors of trajectories of sexual function across adolescent and young adult relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 59(1), 53-68.

Cormier, L. A., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2021). Satisfying curiosities through “sextech”: Who is accessing non-traditional sexual education? Computers and Human Behavior, 124.

Muise, M., Belu, C. F., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2021). Unspoken, yet understood: Exploring how couples communicate their monogamy agreements. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 30(2), 196-204.

Mitchell, K., Lewis, R., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2021). What is sexual wellbeing, and why does it mater for Public Health? A paradigm shift for public health inquiry and intervention in sexuality. The Lancet Public Health, 6, e608-613.

Sy, K. T. L., Shema, T., Ramjee, G., Blanchard, K., Leu, C., Kelvin, E. A., Exner, T. M., Gandhi, A. D., Lince-Deroche, N., Mantell, J. E., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Hoffman, S. (2021). Predictors of antiretroviral therapy initiation in eThekwini (Durban), South Africa: Findings from a prospective cohort study. PLoS One, 16(2), e0246744.

Sprecher, S., O’Sullivan, L. F., Verete Lindenbaum, J., Drouin, M., & Willets, M. (2021). Perhaps it was too soon: College students’ reflections on the timing of their sexual debut. Journal of Sex Research.