Customer Reviews

The Psychology of the Internet

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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! :-)

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.

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.

This book came at a time when most books written about internet by social scientists, journalists etc., were either too focused on very incidental benefits of internet like the virtual communities, or starkly apolocalyptic in their analyses or chracterized by a Pollyanna utopianism. More speculative thinking that research and analysis chracterizes many books on the internet.

This one, based on a thorough grounding in social psychology and a comprehensive review of empirical literature on the subject, studies how behavior and thinking has got effected by the internet, how we behave offline and online, how going online effects us etc.

However, this is a book on the social psychology of the internet and not psychology proper. It's more about how we behave online etc., than about how internet alters cognition. Nevertheless, at the end of reading it, the reader feels a sense of having returned with a much deeper understanding than he or she could have achieved on his/her own.

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.

Can you write a book on social and psychological aspects of the internet which is not outdated 10 years after publication? Patricia Wallace manages the impossible. Written before the turn of the century, the book carefully describes and draws conclusions on internet behaviour and interaction. The observation that the advances and changes of the last decade have little impact on the findings are supportive of their validity and strength.

It's also entertaining to read and accessible for the non-psychologist. Recommended.

This text is more in the genre of sociology than of internet specificity. Although there are considerable implications, Ms Wallace does not make a real connection between the internet and sociological constructs describing group operation. The treatment is very superficial and comprises a lot of suppositions which are rarely supported by real research or active hypotheses under investigation. The one valid point made is that the term 'internet addiction' may be entirely without merit, as there has been no research demonstrating compliance with DSM-IV definitions of addiction.

I had to write an essay on aggression and the Internet, and picked up this book for research. I ended up reading a lot more than just one chapter! This is an informative read, written in a clear, engaging and approachable style. It builds off of existing psychology research and extends it into the virtual world. Yes, I think it's BEST to read this if you've already been exposed to the basics of psychology, but this book will not throw you off if you haven't, because of the author's approachable style and willingness to explain the psychological terminology.

Anyway, this book explores the psychology behind internet interactions, including the formation of net groups, aggression, loving and liking over the web, deviant behavior, why people look at porn, and more. It gives a solid, intro-to-intermediate look at all of these subjects. The only problem is that this book is slightly dated in this world of IM, chatrooms, and Warcraft. (It still talks about email listservs, which is something of the past.) So the reason I gave it 4 stars: the slight datedness of the book, and the very solid, but not completely in-depth, presentation of subject matter.

This is an informative and RELEVENT read for people with an interest in the Net. If you have already studied several years of psychology, you might wanna pick up the Oxford Handbook of Internet Psychology, which is more recent, and goes much more in-depth (but possibly too technical for anyone with no background in psychology, and quite expensive).

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.

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.