The Psychology of Cyberspace
    This site is put together by John Suler Ph.D. at Rider University.  The site contains numerous reports on cyberpsychology in the following six categories.  The Fundamental Psychological Qualities of Cyberspace, The Psychology of the Individual in Cyberspace, The Psychology of Cyberspace Relationships, Group Dynamics in Cyberspace, Research Methods in Cyberpsychology, and The Palace Study.
 
    One particularly interesting article is In-person versus cyberspace relationships.  This was in the third category, The Psychology of Cyberspace Relationships.  This report defines and analyzes the two relationships and gives some positive and negative effects of each.  The report asks the question "Which is better?" and compares the two by how humans connect through the five senses.
 

courses in cyberculture
    The purpose of this page is to explore cyberculture through the courses offered at various universities.  The site contains links to the syllabi of the online courses.  By being exposed to what courses are being offered and the assignments given by professors, the site claims it is possible to see the direction and interest people have in cyberculture.  It is interesting to note that the courses come from many departments including psychology, communications, media studies, law, english, maththematics, art, religion, philosophy, anthropology, computer science, etc.

Psychology of the Internet: Research and Theory by subject
    This page is an archive of discussions on a mailing list on the subject of psychology and the internet.  It looks very similiar to a newsgroup.  Some topics discussed are internet addiction, clinical uses of the internet, cybersex, distance learning, and online relationships.
 

Other cyberpsychology sites online
Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies
cyberlibcypsychology
Cyber Psychology
Psychology of Cyberspace (Suler)
New Pop Psychology Journal Looks At Cyberspace Addiction

Back to Table of Contents

Cyberspace and Mind: Identifying Some Characteristics of Virtual Reality: Can an Object Exist Without a Physical Form?  by Ryan Shintani, G5
    This report gives a summary on the relationship between cyberspace and the human mind.  He summarizes Dr. James' cyberpsychology.  Next, he describes hypertext navigation and the concept of a virtual book.  He compares his opinions on cyber-psychology with what the previous generation 4 thought.  Finally, he lists sources on the web that helped him to form his opinion on the topic of cyber-psychology.
 

Understanding Cyber-Psychology  by Christine Marchadie, G4
        This report gives a general description as to what cyberpsychology is and some of the topics within it.  Christine Marchadie briefly defines cyberpsychology and how cyberspace and the human mind relate and interact.  She also discusses virtual reality.  She states that its a world that does not exist physically nor mentally, but rather exists as its own entity that we can get to by the use of computers.
 
Back to Table of Contents

Back to Table of Contents

Q: What is cyber-psychology?
A: Cyber-psychology is the study of how people behave in a virtual environment composed of computers and the internet.

Q: What topics are covered in cyber-psychology?
A: Cyber-psychology covers every aspect of behavior relating to computers and the internet.  Common topics include cyber-relationships, online addiction, online therapy, and general online behavior patterns.  It may cover topics such as how people interact and communicate over the internet.  Cyber-psychology also covers features on the internet such as search engines, newsgroups, chat rooms, and email.

Q:  Who would be interested in cyber-psychology?
A:  Pretty much anyone who uses a computer or logs on to the internet could utilize the principles of cyber-psychology.  People studying all areas of psychology would take interest in cyber-psychology because it addresses a phenomenon that is and will continue to be a large part of our daily lives.

Q:  What is virtual reality?
A:  Virtual reality is a computer based system that is used to simulate activities done in the physical world.  Virtual reality uses computer generated sound and three dimensional images to create an imaginary environment.  The user is able to participate and interact with objects or other people in the environment.

Q:  What is the relation between cyberspace and the mind?
A:  Cyberspace is a recreation of  thoughts and images in your mind.  It is like an artists who can see things in their mind and translate it into their medium such as wood, clay ot paint.  What is seen in cyberspace is a collective representation of peoples' thoughts and imagination.
    Like the mind, cyberspace can be expanded according to how much information is put into it.  Cyberspace also has memory components just like the mind.  In class we discussed the concept of dualism.  Computer systems are often compared to the brain with it's memory storage and retrival.  The brain is not just a part of your body.  It holds your memories, thoughts, feelings and can also bring about emotions depending on where it is stimulated.

Q:  What is the spiritual significance of clicking on a link?
A:  Clicking on a link may reveal what a person is seeking. When you clic on a link it connects you to various people and places.  It also produces different feelings and emotions about various topics.  The spiritual significance of clicking on a link displays your motivations, can make you become enlightened by something you read, and it can help you to connect with yourself  mentally or spiritually.

Back to Table of Contents