Cyberpsychology

The developing field of cyberpsychology encompasses all psychological phenomena that are associated with or impacted by emerging technology. Cyber comes from the word cybernetics, the study of the operation of control and communication; psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Cyberpsychology is the study of human mind and behavior in the context of human-technology interaction. However, mainstream research studies seem to focus on the impact of the Internet and cyberspace on the psychology of individuals and groups. Some hot topics include: online identity management, personality types in cyberspace, transference to computers, addiction to computer gaming, cybersex, regressive behavior in cyberspace, online gender-switching, etc.

While statistical and theoretical research in this field is based around internet usage, cyberpsychology also includes the study of the psychological ramifications of cyborgs, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality amongst other things. Although some of these topics may appear to be the stuff of science fiction, they are quickly becoming science fact as evidenced by interdisciplinary approaches involving the fields of biology, engineering, and mathematics. The field of cyberpsychology remains open to refinement as well as new purposes including inquiry into the nature of current and future trends in mental illness associated with technological advances.

A peer-reviewed journal titled Cyberpsychology and Behavior was launched in the U.S. as a quarterly in 1998, and now a six issues per year.