Facebook Research Making Headlines
August 13, 2009 - In the News
Research by two University of Guelph graduate students and a psychology professor continues to make headlines around the world. Their study that found Facebook creates jealousy and suspicion in romantic and sexual relationships was published recently in the journal CyberPsychology and Behaviour.
The study by psychology PhD students Amy Muise and Emily Christofides and Prof. Serge Desmarais is the first to provide evidence of a link between Facebook use and jealousy.
Articles about the research appeared in numerous news publications and reports recently, including in the weekend online issue of U.S. News & World Report and in a Canwest news service article that was published in numerous Canadian newspapers.
Articles also appeared recently in USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, The Chronicle of Higher Education, the Los Angeles Times, Science Daily and in the United Kingdom's Daily Mail.
U of G first reported on the research in February after the study had been accepted for publication. At the time, the story was covered by the Globe and Mail and CBC Radio and TV, among others.
Previously, the research team published a study on how the need for popularity is driving young adults to disclose more personal information on Facebook than they normally would reveal.
In June, the researchers received a grant from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to further their research on Facebook and the disclosure of personal information.
