Christine Phillips-Hing studies how parents influence a child's social and language development. She is particularly interested in the father-child relationship which she believes plays an important role in how a child faces new challenges and develops social competency. Christine has also conducted research on how the birth of a child affects marital relationships, self-esteem and competency. She has received financial support for her research from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, as well as from HELP.

Her clinical training with children as well as her experiences as a mother have greatly influenced her research interests, and as such, she is greatly intrigued with the role that mothers and fathers play in a child's development.