Social Web & Psychology

As humans we must communicate emotion. This can be achieved effectively online. This blog post looks at the communication of emotion with text based chat.
This research has been used to develop an online psychology service, MyPsych.com

Splendid blog, full of useful links.

Insight into eye tracking use (in usability consultancies). James questions if eye tracking is really used the right way, or just to impress clients.

Online therapy service

PsychNet are establishing an online counseling and psychology service, MyPsych.com. The service will provide therapy sessions with a clinical psychologist in a secure online environment.

Mobiles and internet link to help the mentally ill

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Louise Hall Health Reporter
June 29, 2008
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MOBILE phones and the internet will be used to help up to 2 million Australians manage their mental health problems.

People can use the technology to track their wellbeing on a day-to-day basis by recording their mood, sleep, activities, medication, physical activity and drug and alcohol use.

The $1.88 million system is being developed by Sydney's Black Dog Institute as part of a growing move towards "e-therapy" as a way to cope with the chronic shortage of services for the mentally ill.

Using secure messaging via the internet or SMS on their mobile phone, patients report their condition daily. Information is fed back on their condition and alerts are sent to their phones or computers when things aren't going well, along with links to appropriate self-help tools.

Black Dog's senior research fellow Judy Proudfoot said the system would assist those at risk of depression, anxiety or stress to recognise symptoms and seek support, as well as help existing sufferers manage their illness.

"If a patient reports that he or she has been feeling anxious and not sleeping well, they would receive an alert pointing to tools for managing anxiety and giving tips for sleeping better," Dr Proudfoot said.

"The alert may also recommend discussing the issues with a GP or clinician and the patient can print out the report and take it with them."

She said most mental health programs, whether they were delivered face to face, by phone or via the web, relied on people monitoring their symptoms or activities. She said the new system was an important initiative allowing "just-in-time" monitoring and immediate intervention on a daily basis.

"Quite often an individual's recall of symptoms, mood or behaviour over several days or weeks can be poor, which not only affects the accuracy of their repor

"Second Life is an increasingly popular world in which people - and animals - are represented by animated virtual characters called avatars and do everything from social activities to shopping.

Interesting correlation between technology and overcoming psychological barriers like depression.

Interesting to know that these people come out of their isolation, not having anything - and many of us having everything and still being depressed.

Psychology 2.0
In the 20 years since APS was founded, psychological science has changed dramatically. New fields, such as social neuroscience, behavioral economics, and behavioral genetics have burst onto the scene, as advances in theory and technology have allowed scientists to incorporate new techniques and combine a variety of perspectives in their research. Teams of researchers across all scientific domains are diligently generating exciting research. But the emergent transdisciplinary nature of psychology makes it all the more difficult to identify one new face of psychology.
Could it be that the brain is the new face of psychology?

Tod Machover of MIT's Media Lab is devoted to extending musical expression to everyone, from virtuosos to amateurs, and in the most diverse forms, from opera to video games. He and composer Dan Ellsey shed light on what's next

Outstanding video by Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University. The video explores the changes in the way we find, store, create, critique, and share information.

Fascinating (maybe oh so obvious for geek psychologists) example of evolution and 2.0zation of psychology.

Interesting correlation between social networks and people experiencing low self esteem and low life satisfaction.