Cyberpsychology: An Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction

Cyberpsychology is about humans and computers and the psychology of how they interact. Computers permeate nearly every human activity in the modern world and affect human behavior from the most basic sensory-motor interactions to the most complex cognitive and social processes. This book begins with a brief history of psychology and computers and a comparison of the human nervous system and the circuitry of a computer. A number of theories and models of human-computer interaction are presented, as well as research methods and techniques for usability testing. Following the typical contents of an introduction to psychology, the book then discusses sensation and perception, learning and memory, thinking and problem solving, language processing, individual differences, motivation and emotion, social relations, and abnormal behavior as they impact the human-computer interface. Finally, specific issues of artificial intelligence, assistive technologies, video games, and electronic education are presented. Cyberpsychology is the new psychology.