{"visibility":"unlisted","_schema":"superlabs-profile/0.1","type":"person","name":"Dr Mariko L. Visserman","givenName":"Mariko","familyName":"Visserman","headline":"Assistant Professor in Psychology","eyebrow":"Relationship science · University of Sussex","lede":"I study how couples navigate **conflicting goals and needs**: the sacrifices partners make, and how **gratitude** and **responsiveness** help relationships thrive.","role":"Dr Mariko L. Visserman · Assistant Professor in Psychology, School of Psychology","photo":"/mariko/headshot.jpg","avatar":{"use":false},"theme":{"name":"classic","accent":null,"cta":"accent"},"stack":false,"vcard":false,"schemeToggle":false,"tilt":false,"bio":["I am a social psychologist with a focus on romantic relationships, studying how people can enjoy high-quality relationships. In particular, I focus on couples’ navigation of conflicting goals, needs, or preferences, and the sacrifices that people make to resolve such incompatibilities.","I joined the University of Sussex as an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology after four years as a Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. Emily Impett at the University of Toronto and Prof. Amy Muise at York University, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. I obtained my PhD at VU Amsterdam, supervised by Profs. Francesca Righetti and Paul van Lange."],"tags":["Romantic relationships","Sacrifice and conflicting interests in couples","Gratitude and appreciation","Perceived partner responsiveness","Accuracy and bias in partner perception","Relocation and large-scale sacrifices","Personal–relational balance","Experimental, daily-diary and longitudinal couple studies"],"aboutTitle":"Research themes","tagsFirst":true,"highlightsLabel":"Featured in","highlights":[{"label":"CNN International","url":"https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/16/health/five-second-breaks-couples-wellness-intl-scli/index.html"},{"label":"BBC News","url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3w822n7827o"},{"label":"The Washington Post","url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/02/13/relationships-appreciate-gratitude/"},{"label":"Scientific American","url":"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/men-actually-crave-romantic-relationships-more-than-women-do/"},{"label":"Forbes","url":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2025/08/10/1-subtle-skill-thats-crucial-for-a-happy-marriage-by-a-psychologist/"},"The Times",{"label":"The Telegraph","url":"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/relationships/cook-together-couples-dave-myers-relationship/"},{"label":"The Atlantic","url":"https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/619233/"},{"label":"Wall Street Journal","url":"https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-couples-gratitude-is-a-boomerang-1539356190"},{"label":"Time","url":"https://time.com/98040/women-relationships-negative-qualities-men/"},{"label":"The Conversation","url":"https://theconversation.com/looking-for-meaningful-romantic-relationships-start-by-diversifying-your-friendships-and-forgetting-your-wishlist-254022"},{"label":"Psychology Today","url":"https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-instincts/202406/3-questions-for-couples-to-check-in-with-one-another"}],"projectsTitle":"Key papers","projects":[{"tag":"Latest · 2025","name":"On the move: Trajectories of stressors and rewards among relocating couples","desc":"Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251355002"},{"tag":"Signature · 2022","name":"Lightening the load: Perceived partner responsiveness fosters more positive appraisals of relational sacrifices","desc":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology","url":"https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000384"},{"tag":"Best Paper Award · 2018","name":"It’s the motive that counts: Perceived sacrifice motives and gratitude in romantic relationships","desc":"Emotion","url":"https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000344"}],"experience":[{"title":"Assistant Professor","sub":"School of Psychology, University of Sussex, UK","dates":"2023 – present"},{"title":"SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow","sub":"University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada","dates":"2021 – 2023"},{"title":"Lecturer (Assistant Professor)","sub":"School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand","dates":"2020 – 2021"},{"title":"Sessional Lecturer","sub":"Department of Psychology, University of Toronto (St. George & Mississauga)","dates":"2020 – 2021"},{"title":"Postdoctoral Fellow","sub":"University of Toronto Mississauga & York University, Canada","dates":"2018 – 2020"}],"education":[{"title":"PhD, cum laude (top 3%). Dissertation: “The Art of Sacrifice: Self-Other Dilemmas, Biased Perceptions, and the Emergence of Gratitude”","sub":"VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Adviser Dr Francesca Righetti, co-adviser Prof. Paul A. M. van Lange","dates":"2013 – 2018"},{"title":"MSc Research Master in Behavioural Science (Social Cognition)","sub":"Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands","dates":"2010 – 2012"},{"title":"BSc Psychology, Honours Programme, cum laude","sub":"Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands","dates":"2007 – 2010"}],"custom":[{"id":"c_pubs01","type":"pubs","title":"Publications","items":[{"year":"2026","title":"On the move: Trajectories of stressors and rewards among relocating couples","authors":"Naeimi, Park, Johnson, Visserman, Horne & Impett","venue":"Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin","doi":"10.1177/01461672251355002"},{"year":"2025","title":"How romantic partners communicate about sacrifice: A theoretical framework and measurement approach","authors":"Sasaki, Righetti, Visserman, Đurić, Dobson, Naeimi & Impett","venue":"Preprint (PsyArXiv)","doi":"10.31234/osf.io/c376k_v1"},{"year":"2023","title":"Understanding the links between perceiving gratitude and romantic relationship satisfaction using an accuracy and bias framework","authors":"Tissera, Visserman, Impett, Muise & Lydon","venue":"Social Psychological and Personality Science","doi":"10.1177/19485506221137958"},{"year":"2022","title":"Lightening the load: Perceived partner responsiveness fosters more positive appraisals of relational sacrifices","authors":"Visserman, Muise, Righetti, Horne, Le, Côté & Impett","venue":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology","doi":"10.1037/pspi0000384"},{"year":"2022","title":"Relationship functioning following a large-scale sacrifice: Perceived partner prosociality buffers attachment insecurity","authors":"Murphy, Horne, Visserman & Impett","venue":"Journal of Family Psychology","doi":"10.1037/fam0000994"},{"year":"2022","title":"Sacrifices: Costly prosocial behaviors in romantic relationships","authors":"Righetti, Visserman & Impett","venue":"Current Opinion in Psychology","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.031"},{"year":"2021","title":"Growing desire or growing apart? Consequences of personal self-expansion for romantic passion","authors":"Carswell, Muise, Harasymchuk, Horne, Visserman & Impett","venue":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology","doi":"10.1037/pspi0000357"},{"year":"2021","title":"Taking stock of reality: Biased perceptions of the costs of romantic partners’ sacrifices","authors":"Visserman, Righetti, Muise, Impett, Joel & Van Lange","venue":"Social Psychological and Personality Science","doi":"10.1177/1948550619896671"},{"year":"2021","title":"How can I thank you? Highlighting the benefits or costs when expressing gratitude","authors":"Park, Visserman, Sisson, Le, Stellar & Impett","venue":"Journal of Social and Personal Relationships","doi":"10.1177/0265407520966049"},{"year":"2020","title":"Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies","authors":"Joel, Eastwick, Allison, Arriaga, Baker, Bar-Kalifa, … Visserman & Wolf","venue":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1917036117"},{"year":"2020","title":"A nice surprise: Sacrifice expectations and partner appreciation in romantic relationships","authors":"Zoppolat, Visserman & Righetti","venue":"Journal of Social and Personal Relationships","doi":"10.1177/0265407519867145"},{"year":"2019","title":"To “see” is to feel grateful? A quasi-signal detection analysis of romantic partners’ sacrifices","authors":"Visserman, Impett, Righetti, Muise, Keltner & Van Lange","venue":"Social Psychological and Personality Science","doi":"10.1177/1948550618757599"},{"year":"2018","title":"Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat","authors":"Thomson, Yuki, Talhelm, Schug, Kito, Becker, … & Visserman","venue":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1713191115"},{"year":"2018","title":"It’s the motive that counts: Perceived sacrifice motives and gratitude in romantic relationships","authors":"Visserman, Righetti, Impett, Keltner & Van Lange","venue":"Emotion","doi":"10.1037/emo0000344"},{"year":"2018","title":"I gave too much: Low self-esteem and the regret of sacrifices","authors":"Righetti & Visserman","venue":"Social Psychological and Personality Science","doi":"10.1177/1948550617707019"},{"year":"2017","title":"Me or us? Self-control promotes a healthy balance between personal and relationship concerns","authors":"Visserman, Righetti, Kumashiro & Van Lange","venue":"Social Psychological and Personality Science","doi":"10.1177/1948550616662121"},{"year":"2016","title":"The burden of empathy: Partners’ responses to divergence of interests in daily life","authors":"Righetti, Gere, Hofmann, Visserman & Van Lange","venue":"Emotion","doi":"10.1037/emo0000163"},{"year":"2015","title":"Trust and the suppression of emotions during sacrifice in close relationships","authors":"Righetti, Balliet, Visserman & Hofmann","venue":"Social Cognition","doi":"10.1521/soco.2015.33.5.505"},{"year":"2014","title":"Romantic relationship status biases the processing of an attractive alternative’s behavior","authors":"Visserman & Karremans","venue":"Personal Relationships","doi":"10.1111/pere.12035"},{"year":"2022","title":"Attractie en intieme relaties [Attraction and intimate relationships]","authors":"Visserman, Hoorens & Vonk","venue":"Book chapter · In Vonk & Hoorens (Eds.), Sociale Psychologie, 5th ed. (Boom uitgevers Amsterdam)"},{"year":"2019","title":"Sacrifice in intimate relationships","authors":"Visserman","venue":"Book chapter · In Ponzetti (Ed.), Macmillan Encyclopedia of Intimate Relationships and Families (Cengage)"},{"year":"2019","title":"Power in close intimate relationships","authors":"Kim, Visserman & Impett","venue":"Book chapter · In Agnew & Harman (Eds.), Power in Close Relationships (Cambridge University Press)","doi":"10.1017/9781108131490.010"},{"year":"2013","title":"Een aantrekkelijk alternatief in een negatief daglicht [Biased processing of an attractive alternative’s behavior]","authors":"Visserman & Karremans","venue":"Book chapter · Summary paper in Jaarboek Sociale Psychologie"}],"more":{"label":"Google Scholar →","url":"https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dgo95oUAAAAJ"}},{"id":"c_teach1","type":"list","title":"Teaching","items":[{"title":"Intimate Relationships","sub":"Lecturer and module convenor, University of Sussex","dates":"Spring 2026"},{"title":"Social Psychology","sub":"University of Sussex, nominated for an Education Award","dates":"2023"},{"title":"PhD supervision","sub":"Primary supervisor (2025–2028) and shared primary supervisor (2024–2027), University of Sussex","dates":"2024 onwards"},{"title":"Academic Advisor","sub":"University of Sussex","dates":"From 2024"},{"title":"MSc dissertation supervision (3 students; one won the Sussex Partnership Trust Prize)","sub":"Lead supervisor","dates":"2023"},{"title":"Social Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships","sub":"Lecturer and module convenor, University of Toronto (delivered three times)","dates":"2020–2022"},{"title":"Research Methods, Introduction to Psychology, Academic Writing, Psychometrics","sub":"Instructor, Radboud University and VU Amsterdam","dates":"2009–2016"}]},{"id":"c_award1","type":"list","title":"Awards & grants","items":[{"title":"Elected Fellow, Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP)","dates":"2025"},{"title":"Early Career Research Grant ($30,000 USD), Global Gratitude Project, The Love Consortium (PI)","dates":"2024 – 2025"},{"title":"Collaborator, SSHRC Insight Grant ($265,178 CAD)","dates":"2024 – 2029"},{"title":"SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship ($90,000 CAD)","dates":"2021 – 2023"},{"title":"Best Paper Award (Kurt Lewin Institute) and SPSP/RRIG Graduate Student Paper Award for “It’s the motive that counts”","dates":"2018"}]}],"links":[{"label":"Google Scholar","url":"https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dgo95oUAAAAJ","icon":"k:scholar"},{"label":"ORCID","url":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8747-3852","icon":"k:orcid"},{"label":"ResearchGate","url":"https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mariko-Visserman","icon":"k:rg"},{"label":"OSF","url":"https://osf.io/q7f2d/","icon":"k:osf"},{"label":"LinkedIn","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariko-visserman-35990731","icon":"k:li"},{"label":"University of Sussex profile","url":"https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p581038-mariko-visserman","icon":"k:uni"}],"buttons":[{"type":"email","label":"Email Mariko","value":"M.Visserman@sussex.ac.uk","icon":"mail"}],"cta":{"label":"Email Mariko","url":"mailto:M.Visserman@sussex.ac.uk","icon":"mail"},"ctaTitle":"Get in touch","ctaText":"For research collaborations, media enquiries or student supervision, email is the best way to reach me.","footer":"School of Psychology, University of Sussex · Falmer, Brighton · M.Visserman@sussex.ac.uk","sectionOrder":["highlights","work","about","c_pubs01","experience","education","c_teach1","c_award1","contact","people","timeline","links"],"hiddenSections":["links","people","timeline"],"projectsMore":{"label":"All publications ↓","url":"#c_pubs01"},"ctaSheet":true,"ctaButton":"Get in touch","heroNote":"This site shows a selection of my full track record.","seo":{"title":"Dr Mariko Visserman, Assistant Professor in Psychology | University of Sussex","description":"Dr Mariko Visserman, Assistant Professor in Psychology at the University of Sussex, studies sacrifice, gratitude and responsiveness in romantic relationships.","honorificPrefix":"Dr","email":"M.Visserman@sussex.ac.uk","affiliation":{"name":"University of Sussex","url":"https://www.sussex.ac.uk/","department":"School of Psychology"},"alumniOf":["Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam","Radboud University Nijmegen"],"image":"headshot.jpg","imageWidth":438,"imageHeight":480},"favicon":{"type":"initials","text":"MV"}}