Emily Christofides

• PhD in Psychology
• Research Associate at University of Guelph

The practice of communicating research findings to participants has been identified as important in the research ethics literature, but little research has examined empirically how this occurs and what research participants’ views are in this regard. We interviewed 21 adults with cystic fibrosis who had previously participated in research and 2 res...

Disclosure is a critical element of interpersonal relationships and individuals are often evaluated on what they share with others, whether in personal, professional, or learning contexts. Technology now allows for many different outlets for communicating with other people. We used experimental methods to explore the impact of communication medium...

Research participants often report wanting to help as a reason for participation, but who they want to help and why is rarely explored. We examined meanings associated with helping among 21 adults with cystic fibrosis (CF)—a group with high participation in research. Meanings included helping to advance research, helping others with CF, helping as...

Background Health research increasingly relies on organized collections of health data and biological samples. There are many types of sample and data collections that are used for health research, though these are collected for many purposes, not all of which are health-related. These collections exist under different jurisdictional and regulatory...

This study examines the way direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTCGT) companies communicate privacy information and how consumers understand privacy implications of DTCGT. We first conducted an analysis of DTCGT websites to determine what information they provide regarding the treatment of consumer information and samples. 86 companies offered DTC...

Background: Recently, it has been argued that the distinction between medical research and medical care is not as clear-cut as is often implied in research ethics protocols. Young people with cystic fibrosis, a progressive genetic disorder requiring daily management, often grow up participating in biomedical research. Given debates about the import...

The present study evaluated a video-based intervention designed to permit users of social networking to make informed decisions about the information they disclosed online. The videos provided information regarding potential risks of disclosure and well as step-by-step instructions on privacy setting use. Novice (n=40) and experienced (n=40). Faceb...

Social media use by health professionals occurs in a digital environment where etiquette has yet to be solidly defined. The objectives of this study were to explore veterinarians' personal use of Facebook, knowledge of privacy settings, and factors related to sharing personal information online. All American Animal Hospital Association member veter...

New media, such as Facebook, has implications for romantic relationships, including easing the ability to monitor a partner's activities. Across two studies we demonstrate that in response to feelings of jealousy, women are more likely than men to monitor their partner's activities on Facebook. In Study 1, participants were exposed to one of three...

Objective: To explore the nature and content of information publicly posted to Facebook by early-career veterinarians. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Sample-352 early-career veterinarians. Procedures: Publicly accessible Facebook profiles were searched online from March to May 2010 for profiles of early-career veterinarians (gradua...

Social network websites are widely used by adolescents, but disclosing in this environment has inherent risks, as does connecting with others online. In a sample of 256 adolescent Facebook users, the authors explore the relationship between having a negative experience, privacy knowledge, and behavior. Their reports of bad experiences on Facebook a...

Social media is an increasingly common form of communication, with Facebook being the preferred social-networking site among post-secondary students. Numerous studies suggest post-secondary students practice high self-disclosure on Facebook. Research evaluating veterinary students' use of social media found a notable proportion of student-posted co...

People of all ages are increasingly exposed to online environments that encourage them to share and connect with others. However, there is a perception that adolescents are particularly susceptible to these cues and share more online than do other age groups. With a group of 288 adolescents and 285 adults, we explored differences and similarities i...

Facebook has been identified as the preferred social networking site among postsecondary students. Repeated findings in the social networking literature have suggested that postsecondary students practice high personal self-disclosure on Facebook and tend not to use privacy settings that would limit public access. This study identified and reviewed...

Researchers have observed that contrary to the high expectations for online communications, gender stereotyping has not disappeared in this medium, and is sometimes even accentuated. This study aimed to understand the effect of gender over instant messenger, a relatively new and unexplored medium. Instant messenger was chosen because it is a medium...

The social network site Facebook is a rapidly expanding phenomenon that is changing the nature of social relationships. Anecdotal evidence, including information described in the popular media, suggests that Facebook may be responsible for creating jealousy and suspicion in romantic relationships. The objectives of the present study were to explore...

Facebook, the popular social network site, is changing the nature of privacy and the consequences of information disclosure. Despite recent media reports regarding the negative consequences of disclosing information on social network sites such as Facebook, students are generally thought to be unconcerned about the potential costs of this disclosur...

This dissertation describes the findings from a qualitative research study aimed at increasing our understanding of the psychology of privacy management. Specifically, I sought to explore people’s beliefs, perceptions, and process for managing privacy in the contexts that they inhabit. I conducted 32 one-on-one interviews with participants ranging...

The present study evaluated a video-based intervention designed to permit users of social networking to make informed decisions about the information they disclosed online. The videos provided information regarding potential risks of disclosure and well as step-by-step instructions on privacy setting use. Novice (n=40) and experienced (n=40). Faceb...