Krystelle Shaughnessy

Attitudes toward online sexual activities

The goal of this study was to extend our understanding of attitudes toward three types of online sexual activity (OSA) among both students and members of the community: non-arousal OSA (N-OSA), solitary-arousal OSA (S-OSA), and partnered-arousal OSA (P-OSA). In Study 1, 81 male and 140 female undergraduate students completed a paper and pencil survey. In Study 2, an age and sexually diverse group of 137 men and 188 women recruited from the Internet completed an online survey. The results from the two studies were more similar than different. Attitudes toward the three types of activities were neutral to slightly positive on average. The three types of attitudes were significantly related but also distinct. The men’s attitudes toward S-OSA and P-OSA were more positive than were the women’s; the men and women did not differ in their attitudes toward N-OSA. Sexual minority individuals had more positive OSA attitudes overall. Individuals who were less traditional tended to have more positive attitudes. These results are discussed in terms of the growing acceptance of online sexuality.

Using geolocated social media for ecological momentary assessments of emotion: Innovative opportunities in psychology science and practice.

Social media applications have become popular methods of online communication, interaction, and social networking. Many people use social media websites and mobile applications, such as Twitter, to create and post personal expressions in public online forums. This online content presents opportunities for using social media as a data source with the potential to improve evaluation of theoretical models of emotional and stressful experiences across various topics and subfields of psychology science and practice. In this article, we discuss emerging information retrieval and analytic methods using social media for ecological momentary assessments of emotion. We describe 2 specific methods we have developed in the context of Twitter and their use in a broader study investigating relationships among people’s emotional experiences, their expressions of experiences in social media, their daily geospatial movements and locations, and their stress experiences. We conclude with a discussion of potential applications and ethical considerations for these methods in professional psychology practice and science. Les applications des médias sociaux sont devenues de populaires moyens de communication, d’interaction et de réseautage social en ligne. Un grand nombre d’utilisateurs des sites Web et des applications mobiles des médias sociaux, tel Twitter, créent des contenus d’expression personnelle qu’ils affichent ensuite sur des forums publics. Ces contenus électroniques donnent la possibilité d’utiliser les médias sociaux comme une source de données servant éventuellement à améliorer l’évaluation des modèles théoriques d’expériences affectives et stressantes dans divers domaines et sous-domaines de la science et de la pratique de la psychologie. Dans le présent article, nous examinons de nouvelles méthodes de récupération et d’analyse de l’information, basées sur l’utilisation des médias sociaux, pour effectuer des évaluations écologiques momentanées des émotions. Nous décrivons deux méthodes particulières, que nous avons élaborées dans le contexte de Twitter, et leur utilisation dans une étude plus générale sur les liens existant entre les expériences affectives des personnes, le récit de leurs expériences dans les médias sociaux, leurs déplacements et emplacements géographiques quotidiens et leurs expériences en matière de stress. Nous terminons par une discussion sur les éventuelles applications de ces méthodes dans la science et la pratique de la psychologie et les considérations éthiques inhérentes à ces applications.

Personal Activity Centres and Geosocial Data Analysis: Combining Big Data with Small Data

Understanding how people move and interact within urban settings has been greatly facilitated by the expansion of personal computing and mobile studies. Geosocial data derived from social media applications have the potential to both document how large segments of urban populations move about and use space, as well as how they interact with their environments. In this paper we examine spatial and temporal clustering of individuals’ geosocial messages as a way to derive personal activity centres for a subset of Twitter users in the City of Toronto. We compare the two types of clustering, and for a subset of users, compare to actual self-reported activity centres. Our analysis reveals that home locations were detected within 500 m for up to 53% of users using simple spatial clustering methods based on a sample of 16 users. Work locations were detected within 500 m for 33% of users. Additionally, we find that the broader pattern of geosocial footprints indicated that 35% of users have only one activity centre, 30% have two activity centres, and 14% have three activity centres. Tweets about environment were more likely sent from locations other than work and home, and when not directed to another user. These findings indicate activity centres defined from Twitter do relate to general spatial activities, but the limited degree of spatial variability on an individual level limits the applications of geosocial footprints for more detailed analyses of movement patterns in the city.

Looking at the bigger picture: Young men’s sexual health from a psychological perspective:

Researchers have seldom compared how various psychological factors relate to men’s sexual health. We sought to identify whether and how psychological risk factors (i.e. anxiety sensitivity, emotion regulation, psychological distress) predict men’s sexual health (i.e. functioning, sexual quality of life, frequency of sexual activity). Men (N = 306) completed an online survey measuring emotional, psychological, and sexual outcomes. Comparisons of four path analysis models suggested that psychological risk factors are related to some but not all sexual health markers. We will highlight the factors that may place young men at risk for developing mental and sexual health difficulties.

Technology-mediated sexual interaction and relationships: a systematic review of the literature

ABSTRACT In the previous decade, researchers have increased their attention to peoples engagement in technology-mediated sexual interaction (TMSI) – the exchange of sexual material via computer and Internet technologies. Inconsistent terminology and measurement across studies, however, has hindered the development of a cohesive knowledge base to inform sexual and relationship clinicians and educators. In this paper, we provide a critical review of the current state of the research on TMSI to identify gaps, clarify terminology, and synthesize current findings in the research. To do this, we conducted a systematic search of empirical literature focused on sexting, cybersex, and phone sex (terms that are consistent with TMSI). To meet inclusion criteria, authors of the studies were required to report on the prevalence of sexting, cybersex, and phone sex in adolescent and/or adult populations. Our findings indicate that TMSI is more prevalent among adults relative to adolescents. We also found that a majority of the studies focused on problematic use of TMSI (e.g. “cybersex addiction”); with comparatively less research examining normative TMSI. Our findings also indicate that many of the studies we systematically reviewed did not specify or differentiate between relationship types in their analyses. We conclude by discussing trends in the results and gaps in the literature that are pertinent to sexual and relationship researchers and clinicians.

The Effects of Social Anxiety and Online Privacy Concern on Individual Differences in Internet-Based Interaction Anxiety and Communication Preferences

Social anxiety (SA) and online privacy concerns (OPCs) are conceptually distinct fears, but both may be activated by Internet-based social contexts. Whereas SA is focused on being the object of interpersonal evaluation, OPC is focused on preventing others from gaining unauthorized access to private personal information. No research to date has investigated how SA and OPCs may uniquely or interactively predict individual differences in online interaction anxiety or attitudes and preferences about online communication. Participants (N = 374) completed the Social Phobia Inventory and measures of OPCs, online interaction anxiety, and attitudes related to online communication. The results revealed that SA and OPCs were not correlated with one another; however, they each uniquely predicted significant variance in particular outcomes, with no interactive effects. Findings help to illuminate the ways in which online communication preferences may be differentially shaped by peoples levels of SA and OPCs, respectively. Theoretical implications and applications are discussed.

A Model for Recruiting Clinical Research Participants With Anxiety Disorders in the Absence of Service Provision: Visions, Challenges, and Norms Within a Canadian Context.

Abstract High-quality research in clinical psychology often depends on recruiting adequate samples of clinical participants with formally diagnosed difficulties. This challenge is readily met within the context of a large treatment center, but many clinical researchers work in academic settings that do not feature a medical school, hospital connections, or an in-house clinic. This article describes the model we developed at the University of Waterloo Centre for Mental Health Research for identifying and recruiting large samples of people from local communities with diagnosable mental health problems who are willing to participate in research but for whom treatment services are not offered. We compare the diagnostic composition, symptom profile, and demographic characteristics of our participants with treatment-seeking samples recruited from large Canadian and American treatment centers. We conclude that the Anxiety Studies Division model represents a viable and valuable method for recruiting clinical participants from the community for psychopathology research.