Choose a job-related topic of your interest. Then, in a 2–3 page analysis, research and analyze two scholarly articles that deals with your topic.
Cyberpsychology utilizes the same research methods and techniques employed within the field of psychology and other social sciences, although it brings to the forefront some special opportunities and issues. Current research into cyberpsychology topics includes basic research and applied research and utilizes the scientific method to build and test theories (Norman, 2008).
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By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 4: Evaluate the methods, procedures, and techniques useful in the conduct of empirical research within cyberpsychology.
Explain the data collection methods, the participants, and the participant recruitment methods.
Explain the apparatus or material used to gather research and the procedures performed to collect the data.
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a research methodology.
Competency 5: Evaluate problems, conflicts, and unresolved issues in the study of cyberpsychology through critical thinking.
Investigate the range of current unresolved issues in cyberpsychology.
Analyze an issue related to your career field that requires more research.
References
Norman, K. L. (2008). Cyberpsychology: An introduction to human–computer interaction. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
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Context
Cyberpsychology utilizes the same research methods and techniques employed within the field of psychology and other social sciences, although it brings to the forefront some special opportunities and issues. Current research into the topics of cyberpsychology includes basic research and applied research and utilizes the scientific method to build and test theories (Norman, 2008). Like other scientists, cyberpsychology scientists must "conceptualize the problem, collect research information (data), analyze the data, and draw conclusions" (Norman, 2008, p. 93). Some of the research into the study of cyberpsychology involves the testing of some of the big theories such as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Bandura's Social Learning theory, among many others.
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Consider the ways in which the Internet and related technologies support a social scientist's scientific inquiry. Online surveys can be quickly and cheaply developed and disseminated to a large audience. Participants who engage in self-reported research can e-mail journal entries, receive text or e-mail prompts requesting information, et cetera. However, there are certain concerns such as issues with response rates, ethical issues of tracking users and their preferences, methodological issues of observing the use of the Internet, et cetera.
One resource you may find useful is the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (which, along with many other journals, publishes research into the area of cyberpsychology), which includes some of the following topics:
Social networking on sites like Facebook, Instagram, et cetera.
Virtual communities and blogging behavior.
Mobile phone behavior.
Online video sharing.
Computer games and gaming.
E-commerce and online shopping.
E-health communication.
Internet addiction.
Cyberbullying.
Epidemiological studies of the Internet use and behavior.
Cyberpornography.
Virtual reality therapy.
Reference
Joinson, A., McKenna, K. Y. A., Postmes, T., & Reips, U. (Eds.). (2009). The Oxford handbook of Internet psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Norman, K. L. (2008). Cyberpsychology: An introduction to human–computer interaction. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Questions to Consider
To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.
For the following question, refer to the article, "How the Internet Is Changing the Implementation of Traditional Research Methods, People's Daily Lives, and the Way in Which Developmental Scientists Conduct Research," linked in the Resources.
What are the different ways in which social scientists can use the Internet to collect data?
What are the limitations of such research?
What are the ethical issues to be considered, such as privacy concerns and tracking?
What is the research topic under study?
What were the hypotheses?
What research methodologies were utilized?
Who were the participants?
Reference
Denissen, J. J. A., Neumann, L., & van Zalk, M. (2010). How the Internet is changing the implementation of traditional research methods, people's daily lives, and the way in which developmental scientists conduct research. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 34(6), 564–575
Resources
APA Resources
Because this is a psychology course, you need to format this assessment according to APA guidelines. Additional resources about APA can be found in the Research Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom. Use the resources to guide your work as needed.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. This resource is available from the bookstore.
APA Paper Template [DOCX].
Required Resources
Critique Template [DOC].
Suggested Resources
The resources provided here are optional. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The PSYC-FP4210 – Cyberpsychology Library Guide can help direct your research, and the Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.
Interpreting Research
Complete the following Capella multimedia presentations:
The Research Cycle.
Research Methodologies Comparison.
Key Events in Ethical Research.
Interpreting Data.
Read the following from the Capella University Library:
Lazar, J., Feng, J. H., & Hochheiser, H. (2017). Research methods in human-computer interaction. Elsevier Science & Technology.
Chapter 1 provides an introduction and overview to human-computer interaction (HCI) research, with some history and changes in topics and research methods over time.
Chapter 15 addresses working with human subjects in HCI research.
Moreno, M. A., Waite, A., Pumper, M., Colburn, T., Holm, M., & Mendoza, J. (2017). Recruiting adolescent research participants: In-person compared to social media approaches. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20(1), 64–67.
This article is an example of research issues and methods of recruiting participants for online research.
Identifying Issues in Cyberpsychology
Refer to the Assessment 2 for an extended list of topics and issues on cyberpsychology.
Lazar, J., Feng, J. H., & Hochheiser, H. (2017). Research methods in human-computer interaction. Elsevier Science & Technology.
Chapter 14 addresses online and ubiquitous HCI research issues.
Whitty, M. T. (2016). The Study of individuals, society and digital technologies. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Individual chapters cover online relationships, online dating, online sexual activities, Internet infidelity, children’s and teens’ use of digital technologies, online education, leisure and entertainment, online gaming and gambling, online deception, online crimes: scams, fraud and illegal downloads, cyber harassment, hate crimes, cyberwarfare, child pornography and pedophilia, and online support and heath care.
Locating Research in Cyberpsychology
Complete the following Capella multimedia presentation:
Cyberpsychology Course Resources.
Use the databases in the Capella University Library to assist your search for scholarly articles and books in the field of cyberpsychology. Several professional journals in this field are available including:
Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace.
CyberPsychology and Behavior.
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
Advances in Human-Computer Interaction.
Assessment Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Choose a topic
Choose a topic related to your current job (or desired career field) from the following list:
Activism.
Art.
Artificial intelligence.
Augmented reality.
Big data.
Blogging or microblogging.
Cloud computing.
Cloud forensics.
Cyberdefense.
Cybertherapy.
Criminal networks.
Digital divide.
E-commerce or consumer behavior.
Embedded computation.
Enterprise architecture.
Enterprise analytics.
Education.
Energy.
Entrepreneurs.
Ergonomic issues.
Fundraising.
Hackers.
Health care.
H–CI (human–computer interface).
Media.
Mobile technology.
National security.
Online learning or virtual high school.
Product development.
Real-time analytics.
Robots.
Security.
User customization.
Step Two: Research
Research a topic of interest and choose two scholarly articles that examine cyberpsychology research related to your chosen career field. You may use the Capella University Library, the Internet, or any other scholarly resource to find the articles. You may also use the Interpreting Data media piece (linked in the Resources) as an aid to complete this assessment.
Note the following:
References should be mostly scholarly in nature. In other words, you should direct your research to professional psychology journals and texts, as well as current articles from the media (for example, articles from PewResearch, professional journals, and respected media).
The library guide for this course will help you locate appropriate sources.
Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information for this purpose. Do not use Wikipedia.
Instructions
Complete the following:
Using the topic you chose in Step One, identify your job or the career in which you are interested and explain how your topic relates to the job.
Using the two articles related to your chosen career or allied field that you located in Step Two, use the Critique Template, linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading, to guide your evaluation of the methods, procedures, and techniques used in the research. Each article must be evaluated on a separate copy of the template. For each article, complete the following in the template:
Explain the data collection methods.
Identify the participants and participant recruitment methods.
Explain the apparatus or material used to gather research, as well as the procedures performed to collect the data.
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the research methodology.
Investigate the range of current unresolved issues in cyberpsychology.
Using the APA Paper Template, linked in the Resources under the APA Resources heading, analyze a career-field-related issue or problem that requires more research.
Additional Requirements
Written communication: Ensure written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
Formatting: Format resources and citations according to current APA style and formatting guidelines. Use Microsoft Word.
Number of pages: 2–3 double-spaced pages for the issue analysis, excluding the cover page and references, plus one Critique Template for each scholarly article reviewed,
Number of resources: Use two scholarly articles.
Font and font size: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font.
Research Methodologies
Sample Solution