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Technology And Cyberpsychology

Technology And Cyberpsychology

Various technologies have been made in the last decade. One of them is the virtual home assistant, which is considered a new type of smart home. Some companies like Google and Amazon launched Google Nest, which generates smart, connected devices for basically everything that one might need at home and a smart speaker that acts as a virtual assistant that can do almost everything, respectively. Both of these technologies were launched in 2014. Virtual payment systems, as well as card readers, were also launched recently. Another major technology is self-driving cars, which have constantly been developing since 2016, and major advancements have been made, with companies like Lyft and Uber making use of these cars. In-home or smart exercise equipment, digitized diaper monitoring, wearable trackers, and virtual grocery shopping have also been recently introduced in the market. In healthcare, technologies like telehealth, robotic surgery blockchain, AI, and machine learning have been launched since 2019. Blockchain is a new technology in healthcare that has the likelihood of enhancing interoperability (Gordon & Catalini, 2018).

Psychological Theories And Models

One of the commonly used models in cyberpsychology is the cognitive model. The cognitive theory strives to explain behavior by trying to comprehend one’s thought processes. Behavioral theory is also a major theory that tends to inform cyberpsychology. This model focuses on the manner in which individuals learn from their environment and, in particular, their use of technology, for instance, in a classroom or online learning (Chao, 2019). The sociocultural theory also greatly influences cyberpsychology as it provides insight into the interaction between individuals and their society. Since technology plays an important role in today’s society, knowledge of how these technologies can impact development and other things is important.

Cyberpsychology Relation To Other Allied Fields

Cyberpsychology has great links with allied fields of human factors, ergonomics, usability, human-computer interaction, and user interface—both cyberpsychology and human-computer interaction study technology and humans. Certain elements in human-computer exchange, like prototyping and design, can be highly significant in constructing interactive experiences that can be used to test theories of cyberpsychology (Connolly et al., 2016). Human factors such as behavioral influences as well as social interactions involved in the online environment form a significant part of understanding cyberpsychology. Factors such as risky cybersecurity behaviors, impulsivity, and internet addiction can help psychologists understand certain things as they relate to the use of technology, particularly the Internet and social media (Hadlington, 2017).

Usability allows psychologists to study certain things, such as the use and extent of use of technologies. This enhances understanding of human behavior and cognitive decisions made regarding the use of technology. User interface design concentrates on anticipating the things that users might need to do and making certain that the interface contains elements that are easy to use, understand, and access to facilitate these actions. Such aspects are essential to cyberpsychology as they can enhance understanding of why people tend to use certain technologies more than others. Like cyberpsychology, ergonomics strives to understand the interactions among humans with their working environment and, in this case, how humans interact with technology in the workplace.

Sociocultural Theory

A theory like sociocultural theory could have a major impact on the work of a software designer developing online games. Online games play an integral role in the lives of people today, particularly children. Currently, more focus has been placed on how things like violent video games influence aggression among children. With a focus on such issues, it is possible for a sociocultural theorist studying such a correlation to cause trouble for individuals designing and marketing such games.

Positive And Negative Implications Technology Advances

Artificial intelligence and robotics are common technologies used today, and the future seems to be more dependent on these technologies as well. One of the negative implications of AI and robotics is that it is likely to replace so many people at work, leading to major job losses in the future (UNCTED, 2018). Whereas certain jobs might be created for individuals with the relevant skills, these jobs might be very few, even in the future. However, it is important to note that technology has enhanced the convenience and ease of doing things today. For instance, in healthcare, the use of electronic health records has made it easier for individuals’ records to be obtained, making collaboration of care easier.

Legal, Ethical, Regulatory, And Compliance Matters

Professional psychologists have identified various benefits and detriments related to the use of technology. However, legal, ethical, regulatory, and compliance matters fail to advance at the same rate as advancements in technology. Such a mismatch is likely to cause major ethical issues since psychologists might operate without guidance or consensus from a professional community or organization. Cyberpsychologists can access and disseminate clients’ data in an inappropriate and unethical manner, bringing issues of informed consent and privacy into play (Good Therapy, 2017). In a virtual world, issues related to privacy and confidentiality are not exactly clear, and therefore adherence to such aspects could be difficult in a virtual world. Thus, the responsibility for professional and ethical integration of technology majorly lies on individuals.

References

Chao, C. M. (2019). Factors determining the behavioral intention to use mobile learning: An application and extension of the UTAUT model. Frontiers in Psychology10, 1652.

Good Therapy. (2017). Ethical Concerns with Cyber-Psychology. https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/ethical-concerns-with-cyber-psychology-122311/

Gordon, W. J., & Catalini, C. (2018). Blockchain technology for healthcare: facilitating the transition to patient-driven interoperability. Computational and structural biotechnology journal16, 224-230.

Hadlington, L. (2017). Human factors in cybersecurity; examining the link between Internet addiction, impulsivity, attitudes towards cybersecurity, and risky cybersecurity behaviors. Heliyon3(7), e00346.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (2018). Technology and Innovation Report: Harnessing Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Development.

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Introduction

Many theories in the field of psychology address personality, motivation, cognition, relationships, abnormal behavior, et cetera. These theories can also be applied to the understanding of people and their use of technologies.

Technology And Cyberpsychology

Technology And Cyberpsychology

According to Norman (2008), cyberpsychology is the study of human behavior related to the operation of “control and communication systems” (p. 7). What are these systems? Today, these include the Internet, mobile technologies, and other ways by which we can access information from our cell phones, tablets, cars, televisions, and computers. This course will explore the field of human–computer interaction and focus specifically on how people use the Internet and how that use affects our lives, both in positive and negative ways.

Cyberpsychology is a developing subfield of psychology. It focuses on the study of the human mind and behavior in the context of human–technology interaction through the Internet and its emerging technologies. The field of psychology dates back to the late 1800s (and some would propose even earlier) when, in 1879, Wilhelm Wundt opened the first experimental laboratory in psychology at the University of Leipzig in Germany. The field of cyberpsychology is relatively new, beginning in the late 1990s and early 21st century when the “penetration of computers, the Internet, and related technologies” were used by more than 50% of the United States’ population (Norman, 2008, p. 9). Many theories in the field of psychology address personality, motivation, cognition, relationships, abnormal behavior, et cetera. These theories can also be applied to understanding people and their use of technologies.

Reference
Norman, K. L. (2008). Cyberpsychology: An introduction to human–computer interaction. Cambridge University Press.

Instructions
Use your research and accumulated knowledge to complete the following:

Describe the key advances in technology and the application of new technologies since 2011.
Explain the underlying psychological theories and models associated with cyberpsychology.
Describe how the field of cyberpsychology specifically relates to the allied areas of human–computer interaction, human factors, usability, user-interface design, and ergonomics.
Explain how a theory in cyberpsychology influences a specific career or related field. For example, how does the sociocultural theory of development affect the work of a software designer who develops online games?
Analyze the positive and negative implications of advances in technology related to your job or future career.
Explain a specific ethical, legal, or psychological issue or concern related to the field of cyberpsychology.
Support your positions with APA citations from at least two scholarly sources.

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