The Psychology of the Internet

Rating:
Summary: Required reading for any internet researcher
Review: Communication is critical in any society. Cyberspace has redefined the boundries. Age, color, education, physical abilities and disabilities disappear on the Internet. Cyber community is perhaps a more appropriate description of what our society is becoming.

Rating:
Summary: Required reading for any internet researcher
Review: Communication is critical in any society. Cyberspace has redefined the boundries. Age, color, education, physical abilities and disabilities disappear on the Internet. Cyber community is perhaps a more appropriate description of what our society is becoming.

Rating:
Summary: A broad but surface coverage
Review: Generally, the "The Psychology of the Internet" is a broad sweeping, albeit whirlwind, run through a wide gamut of psychological issues as they might--or might not--apply to the Internet. This is an important topic that could provide insight into how the Internet, as it becomes increasingly pervasive, will affect human relations. From my perspective, some of the more salient topics included the advantages and disadvantages of group interactions and the possibilities for conflict and resolution. Dr. Wallace provides a good analysis of some of the ways in which individual behavior changes on the Net and off. Additionally, the book covers a number of other topics, such as the psychology of "flaming," pornography, Internet addiction, altruism, and gender issues.

For those who are well read in the area of psychology on the Internet, there is a fair amount of rehashing of material that has been extensively covered elsewhere. For example, Dr. Sherry Turkle's 1995 "Life on the Screen," extensively discusses the fluidity of personalities on the web, the issues of anonymity, and the effects of computerized psychotherapy. Both Turkle's work, and the seminal work of Rheingold ("The Virtual Community"), have already extensively covered the peculiar nature of MUDs and Usenet, as well as the notorious cases of cyberrape on LambdaMOO and other cyberdeceptions. The book also relies heavily on the oft-cited studies of Amy Bruckman and Dr. Sara Kiesler.

In general, the topics that are presented appear to be well documented in a clear and accessible style with up-do-date information. Dr. Wallace has done an excellent job of presenting a full spectrum of psychological issues, although much of the discussion is on the state of research on the issue in general, with follow-on discussion as to how it would apply to the Internet. In the case of group dynamics, conversational norms, and readiness to express aggressive behavior, I found this quite interesting. In some other areas, it was what you would expect and consequently less thought provoking.

The beginning of the book is particularly strong, but it fades in the last two chapters into kind of a grab bag of Internet issues that, for my taste, have an only peripheral relevance to a discussion of psychology on the Internet. Overall, the book seems to be a good overview and does a superior job of summarizing the current state of research, albeit without providing much in the way of a conclusion.

Rating:
Summary: Informative book on a brand new subject!
Review: Supported by knowledge of recent research, the author provides insight into how people sometimes behave differently on the Internet than they do in real life. According to Wallace, behaviors based on psychology in real life often do not carry over into the virtual world in the same way. For frequent users of the Internet, this information is not startling but eye-opening. For those who use the Internet little or not at all, this is a well-presented introduction to the cyberworld. Although academic in tone, the book is easy to read as it explores the many facets of life on the "Net". Because it is based on clinical research, it gets a bit wearying near the end. However, be sure to read it in its entirety because it is well presented, very inclusive, and quite interesting. Since completing this book, I am more fully cognizant of the different behaviors of "Web" users each time I log on. This would include those inhabitants of cyberspace as well as those who dwell within my own home! :-)

Rating:
Summary: Informative book on a brand new subject!
Review: Supported by knowledge of recent research, the author provides insight into how people sometimes behave differently on the Internet than they do in real life. According to Wallace, behaviors based on psychology in real life often do not carry over into the virtual world in the same way. For frequent users of the Internet, this information is not startling but eye-opening. For those who use the Internet little or not at all, this is a well-presented introduction to the cyberworld. Although academic in tone, the book is easy to read as it explores the many facets of life on the "Net". Because it is based on clinical research, it gets a bit wearying near the end. However, be sure to read it in its entirety because it is well presented, very inclusive, and quite interesting. Since completing this book, I am more fully cognizant of the different behaviors of "Web" users each time I log on. This would include those inhabitants of cyberspace as well as those who dwell within my own home! :-)

Rating:
Summary: Informative, insightful, rewarding reading.
Review: This exploration of the psychological aspects of cyberspace uses the latest research in the social sciences, communications and business fields to consider how the online environment influences behavior. From complementary relationships to polarization and problems in verifying information, The Psychology of the Internet addresses a range of issues and problems.

Rating:
Summary: A Solid Effort!
Review: This is an early attempt to analyze Internet psychology. Patricia M. Wallace uses established psychological research - where it applies - to lay the foundation for understanding Internet psychology. Wherever possible, she cites contemporary Internet psychology research in presenting her opinions and conclusions; the problem is that there isn't any. She finds very few compelling Internet research studies, and she's the one who knows where to look. This book is just a little early out of the dock. The Internet is evolving so quickly that discussion of research conducted on Usenet groups already seems quaint. We [...] recommend this book to people who want a general psychological review of the impact of the Internet. However, the same lightening-fast change that makes these questions so fascinating also makes it very difficult to pin down the answers.


Rating:
Summary: solid information in a well written form
Review: Wallace knows what she's talking about, and she puts it in very readable prose. I particularly like what she says about disinhibition on the 'Net.