Title: Graduate Student

Previous Degrees/Licensing/Training Obtained:

M.A. (Experimental Psychology) University of New Brunswick, Saint John B.A. First Class Honours (Psychology) St. Francis Xavier University

Biography:

From Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Aryn holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (first class honours, Psychology) from St. Francis Xavier University. During her undergraduate degree, Aryn completed a longitudinal quantitative study investigating the impact of a singing training intervention on language development in four year old children under the supervision of Dr. Petra Hauf. This study served as her introduction to research conduct and solidified her interest in conducting clinical research with the goal of developing and delivering empirically based psychological interventions. Following the completion of her undergraduate degree, Aryn completed a Master’s of Arts in Experimental Psychology at the University of New Brunswick (Saint John) under the supervision of Dr. Enrico DiTommaso. During her time in this program, Aryn completed two major research projects. Her master’s thesis examined individual differences among social media users to better understand when social media use may result in positive or negative psychosocial outcomes. Aryn was also principle investigator on a study funded by a Horizon Health Network MindCare research grant examining the relationship between self-compassion and female sexual pain, with the main goal of identifying accessible psychological treatment approaches for reducing sexual pain and improving relationship satisfaction.

Aryn’s primary academic aim is to conduct empirical research that focuses on understanding individual differences that influence relationship development and maintenance with the goal of improving they psychological well-being of individuals within the context of relationships. Now in her fifth year of the PhD program in clinical psychology at the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton) under the supervision of Dr. Scott Ronis, Aryn hopes to continue examining ways to improve the psychological well-being in the context of relationships. Currently, Aryn is conducting her Doctoral Dissertation research examining the impact of internal and external sexual consent discrepancies on sexual satisfaction in long term couples.

Select Publications:

Benoit, A., & Ronis, S. T. (2022). A qualitative examination of withdrawing sexual consent, sexual compliance, and young women’s role as sexual gatekeepers. International Journal of Sexual Health, 34(4), 577-592.

Benoit, A., & Ronis, S. T. (2022). Caregivers as sexual health educators. In Taverner, W. J. (Eds.), Sex education research: A look between the sheets. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Molen, L. V., Ronis, S. T., Benoit, A., & Walmark, S. (2021). Differential associations between paraphilic interests and sexual satisfaction. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 27(3-4), 274-292.

Select Presentations:

Benoit, A. (2020). Closing the Gates: A Qualitative Examination of Sexual Consent Withdrawal. Video-recorded talk presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality Global Sex Research Virtual Conference.

Benoit, A. (2020). Withdrawing Sexual Consent: A Qualitative Examination. Talk given at Sex Talks, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.