Syllabus for Cyberpsychology

Model Syllabus for the Course: Cyber psychology

1. The Basic Psychological Qualities of Cyberspace

Cyberspace as a psychological space - basic psychological features of cyberspace-Networks as "mind" and "self"-Presence. The online disinhibition effect -Psychology of avatars and graphical space- Cyberspace as dream world-Two Paths of Virtual Reality-The black hole of cyberspace
Online lingo-Internet demographics -Cyberspace humor -Coping with spam -Social Psychology of Cyberspace: Self and community in the age of Internet.

2. The Psychology of the Individual in Cyberspace

Identity management in cyberspace -Personality types in cyberspace-Unique roles in cyberspace-Transference to computers and cyberspace-Addiction to computers and cyberspace Regressive behavior in cyberspace-Online gender-switching-Adolescents in cyberspace-Wizards: The heart of an online community-On being a "god"-Y2K and apocalyptic thinking- Integrating online and offline living. An online psycho-educational program – Media transitions – Computer and Cyberspace addiction.

 3. The Psychology of Cyberspace Relationships

In-person versus cyberspace relationships-Transient and long term online relationships-The psychology of text relationships -Hypotheses about online text relationships-E-mail communication and relationships – Transference among people online – How to resolve conflict online – Cyberspace romances – Subtlety in multimedia chat. Assistive and augmentive technologies -  Media: games, entertainment, and education - The future: the ultimate human-computer interface
 

4. Group Dynamics in Cyberspace

Social psychology of online groups-Developmental stages of mailing lists-Making virtual communities work-Early history of an online community-Wizards: The heart of an online community-Therapy and support groups in cyberspace-Unique groups in cyberspace-TextTalk: Communicating with typed text chat-A decision-making method for e-mail groups-Extending a work group into cyberspace - Using discussion boards in teaching-Group games using avatars-Geezer Brigade: Studying an online group-Managing deviant behavior in online groups – Online photo-sharing communities (flickr).  
5. Research Methods and Computer therapies in Cyberpsychology

Publishing online - Case studies of digital life forms - One of Us: Participant observation research - Steps in studying an online group - Ethics in cyberspace research - Studying full cyberspace immersion  - Computer mediated Therapy, Towards cyber psychology – theory and methods - Theoretical approaches: models and metaphors; Research: modes and methods; Sensory-motor interfaces: input and output; Learning and memory, transfer and interference; Cognitive psychology: thinking and problem solving;  Interpersonal relations. Abnormal behavior and cyber therapies.

References:

1.      http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/psycyber.html

2.      http://www.units.muohio.edu/psybersite/cyberspace/syllabus00.shtml

3.      http://www.cybertherapy.info/pages/cyber.htm

4.      Kent L. Norman, 2008,

5.       Cyberpsychology, An Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction, University of Maryland, College Park.

6.      Towards CyberPsychology: Mind, Cognitions and Society in the Internet Age

Amsterdam, IOS Press, © 2001, 2002, 2003