Krystelle Shaughnessy

I entered the PhD Program in Clinical Psychology program at the University of New Brunswick to work with Sandi in the fall of 2007. Prior to this,  I completed  an MSc in Clinical Psychology at Acadia University with Dr. Michael Leiter. I hail from Southwestern Ontario and completed my B.A. Honours Psychology with Concentration in French as a Second language at the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Dr. Elke Reissing

 During my doctoral studies,  I have been developing a  program of research focused on online sexual activities (OSA). You can find a list of my publications below.  To date I have published a study on definitions of cybersex as well as one on predictors of OSA experience. I have also conducted a study on the attitudes, experiences, and perceived outcomes of OSA experience. Across all these studies, the results suggest that OSA experiences are common and that people hold relatively neutral attitudes toward these experiences. Furthermore, people report that their own recreational OSA experiences have little impact on the sexual attitudes, sex life, and life in general. You can also learn more about my research in this  press release. 

I am particularly interested in cybersex--an interactive, real-time subgroup of arousal-oriented OSAs. For my dissertation, I am examining the intricacies of men and women's experiences, initiations, motives, and outcomes of solitary-arousal OSA and cybersex within three types of relationships. To participate in this study, please go to www.unbstudy.com and select the study on Sexuality and Intimacy on the Internet.  

 I also am involved in secondary lines of research in collaboration with colleagues at the University of New Brunswick and the University of Waterloo.  At UNB, I have collaborated on a study examining attitudes towards sexuality and aging with Dr. Lucia O'Sullivan, Ashley Thompson, and Dr. Sandra Byers. At the University of Waterloo, I am collaborating with Dr. Uzma Rehman on a cross-cultural study of relationship satisfaction.   

Clinically, I continue to develop and revise my areas of interest. While at UNB,  I completed an advanced practicum with 42 Health Services at CFB Gagetown as well as  a practicum at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital with the adult inpatient and day therapy team. I am also interested in relationship and sex therapy. I will be starting my predoctoral internship at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre in September 2012.

Along with my enthusiasm for research, I also enjoy opportunities to mentor and teach undergraduate students. I have taught Human Sexuality and co-taught  Introduction to Research and Statistical Methods in Psychology  with Dr. Daniel Voyer.  I have worked as a T.A. for courses on human sexuality, adult psychopathology, and statistics. I have been actively involved with co-supervising the research of a number of Basic Research and Honours  students in the lab. Finally, I believe graduate studies are an important contribution to our local and larger community, Canadian society, and the economy.  As such, I strive to contribute to the academic and social community at UNB and within the greater psychology and sexology fields. I am currently the senior student representative on the Executive of the Canadian Sex Research Forum and a student member of the Canadian Psychological Association, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, and the International Academy of Sex Research. 

Here are my sexuality-related publications:

Shaughnessy, K. (2012).  In Focus: Sexuality on the Internet. In J. S. Hyde, J. D. DeLamater, & E. S. Byers. Understanding human sexuality: Fifth Canadian Edition. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Shaughnessy, K.,  Byers, E. S ., & Thornton, S. J. (2012). What is cybersex?: Heterosexual students definitions. International Journal of Sexual Health, 23, 79-89. doi: 10.1080/19317611.2010.546945

Shaughnessy, K., Byers, E. S.,, & Walsh, L. (2011) Online sexual activity experience in heterosexual students: Gendere similarities and differences. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40,  149. doi: 10.1016/10.1007/sl10508-010-9629-9

Shaughnessy, K. (2009).  In Focus: Coping with herpes. In J. S. Hyde, J. D. DeLamater, & E. S. Byers. Understanding human sexuality: Fourth Canadian Edition. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Reprinted in the Fifth Canadian Edition.. 

Here are my recent conference presentations:

Shaughnessy, K., & Byers, E. S. (2012, June). Women's perceptions of their online sexual activity experience. Paper to be presented at the Section on Women and Psychology Preconference Institute, Canadian Psychological Association, Halifax, NS.

Shaughnessy, K., & Byers, E. S. (2011, September). Specificity in attitudes towards online sexual activity. Poster presented at the meeting of the Canadian Sex Research Forum, Vancouver, B.C.

Thompson, A. ,Shaughnessy, K., O'Sullivan, L., & Byers, E. S. (2011, September). Are your biases showing? An  IAT test of students' implicit attitudes toward sex among the elderly. Paper presented at the meeting of the Canadian Sex Research Forum, Vancouver, B.C.

Shaughnessy, K., & Byers, E. S. (2011, July). Gender differences and similaritiesin heterosexual students' online sexual activity experiences. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Academy of Sex Research, Prague, Czech Republic.

Shaughnessy, K., Byers, E., S. (2010, July). Outcomes of online sexual activity: Perspectives of college, community, and sexual minority samples. In E. S. Byers (Chair), Nonproblematic online sexual activity. Symposium presented at the International Academy of Sex Research, Prague, Czech Republic.