Brett Holfeld, B.A. (Hons.) (University of Manitoba), M.Sc., Ph.D. (University of North Dakota), Postdoctoral Fellowship (University of Victoria)

  • Associate Professor, Chair, Psychology – School of Arts and Social Science
  • Recipient of the Grenfell Campus Engagement Award 2017-18

 

Contact Information:

 

Research interests/expertise:

  • The key objective of my program of research is to foster healthy relationships for children, adolescents, and young adults in online and offline environments. My program of research broadly addresses the role of digital technology (e.g., cyber bullying, social media, video gaming, sexting, cyber dating violence) in the social and emotional development of children, adolescents, and young adults. I am particularly interested in the longitudinal effects of risk and protective factors (measured at both individual and contextual levels) on cyber bullying and cyber victimization, and on behavioural and mental health problems. I am always willing to talk about my research with students and I am open to new ideas that could make for an interesting project.

 

Teaching

  • I teach survey courses in developmental and social psychology (PSYC 2025 and 2125), and contemporary issues courses in developmental and social psychology (PSYC 3025 and 3125).
  • I also teach a required course in Introduction to Psychology II (PSYC 1001), an elective course in Forensic Psychology (PSYC 2150), Senior Seminar in Psychology (PSYC 4925), and Independent Project in Psychology (PSYC 4950).  
  • I typically supervise honours student projects and I am willing to take up to two students each year.

 

Representative scholarly contributions

Sample of Selected Publications (since 2017)

Leung, E., St. Onge-Shank, C.*, Holfeld, B., Brake, C.*, Poole, A.*, Konishi, C., & Craig, W. (in press). A scoping review of the social ecological factors that promote healthy dating relationships during adolescence. Current Psychology.

 

Holfeld, B., Mishna, F., Craig, W., & Zuberi, S.* (2024). A latent profile analysis of the consensual and non-consensual experiences among adolescents. Youth and Society, 56(4), 713-733. doi: 101177/0044118X231202814

 

Morrison, K. E.*, Hymel, S., Craig, W., Dirks, M., & Holfeld, B. (2023). Teen perceptions of adolescent dating violence. Journal of Adolescence, 95, 1348-1364.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12206

 

Ruthig, J. C., Kroke, A., & Holfeld, B. (2022). Anticipating academic performance and feedback: Temporal shifts in unrealistically optimistic performance estimates and primary and secondary control strategies. Social Psychology of Education, 25, 55-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-021-09675-2

 

Martin-Storey, A., Dirks, M., Holfeld, B., Dryburgh, N.*, & Craig, W. (2021). Family relationship quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: The value of adolescent perceptions of change. Journal of Adolescence, 93, 190-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.11.005

 

Holfeld, B., & Mishna, F. (2021). The development of post-traumatic stress symptoms among adolescents who experience cyber and traditional victimization over time. Journal of Youth and Adolescence Special Issue: Youth Exposure to Online Risks: Theory, Predictors, and Consequences, 50(12), 2339-2350.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01394-3

 

Holfeld, B., & Baitz, R.* (2020). The mediating and moderating effects of social support and school climate on the association between cyber victimization and internalizing symptoms. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 49(11), 2214-2228. doi: 10.1007/s10964-020-01292-0

 

Holfeld, B., Stoesz, B., & Montgomery, J. (2019). Traditional and cyber bullying and victimization among youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Investigation of the frequency, characteristics, and psychosocial correlates. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 24(2), 61-76. 

 

Holfeld, B., & Mishna, F. (2019). Internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems: Risk factors for or consequences of cyber victimization? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(3), 567-580. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0974-7

 

Holfeld, B., & Leadbeater, B. J. (2018). The inter-related effects of traditional and cyber victimization on the development of internalizing symptoms and aggressive behaviors in elementary school. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 64(2), 220-247.

 

Holfeld, B., & Mishna, F. (2018). Longitudinal associations in children’s involvement as victimized, bullying, or witnessing cyber bullying. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 21(4), 234-239. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2017.0369

 

Holfeld, B., & Leadbeater, B. J. (2017). Concurrent and longitudinal associations between Early adolescents’ experiences of school climate and cyber victimization. Computers in Human Behavior, 76, 321-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.037

 

Holfeld, B., & Sukhawathanakul, P.* (2017). Associations between internet attachment, cyber victimization, and internalizing symptoms among adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20(2), 91-96.

 

Leadbeater, B. J., Sukhawathanakul, P.*, Holfeld, B., & Temple, J. R. (2017). The effects of continuities in parent and peer aggression on relational intimate partner violence in the transition to young adulthood. Prevention Science, 18(3), 350-360. doi: 10.1007/s11121-017-0757-5

Note. * Indicates an undergraduate or graduate student at time of submission or publication.

 

Current research projects and grants

  • Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) 2023 – 2025

Title: Building Capacity to Prevent Gender-Based Violence – Development and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Tools for Canadian Educators

Role: Co-investigator

 

  • SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant 2023 – 2024

Title: Addressing the overlap between sexual violence, and sexuality and gender-based minority stressors: Advancing understanding by centering 2SLGBTQIA+ adolescents and young adults

Role: Collaborator

 

  • SSHRC Insight Development Grant 2021 – 2024

Title: An examination of the protective effects of resilience in children’s early experiences of cyber victimization

Role: Principal Investigator

 

Honours, graduate and post-graduate supervision

Honours Theses

  • Fall/Winter 2024-25 Tianna Brake: TBA
  • Fall/Winter 2024-25 Vicky Quao: TBA
  • Fall/Winter 2023-24 Kaley Burry: What’s the deal with cyber dating violence?
  • Fall/Winter 2023-24 Rebecca Goulding: Why Instagram?
  • Fall/Winter 2022-23 Susan Graham: Understanding how technology is used in adult relationships
  • Fall/Winter 2021-22 Soumya Jain: To emoji or not to emoji?
  • Fall/Winter 2021-22 Rebecca Sherstobetoff: How and why we use TikTok
  • Fall/Winter 2020-21 Abigail Poole: Making it work: What’s important in romantic relationships?
  • Fall/Winter 2020-21 Heather Collins: Smartphones and social networking site use: Does it really matter?  
  • Fall/Winter 2019-20 Sara Ford: The impact of online experiences across social networking platforms
  • Fall/Winter 2018-19 Sophia Hewitt: The impact of smartphone technology use on adults’ face-to-face relationships