Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking最新文献

Virtual reality (VR) interventions are receiving increasing attention from research seeking to promote harmonious intergroup relations. Despite this, the effectiveness of VR methods and the underlying mechanisms for enhancing intergroup relations yield mixed findings. The current research examined if a 360° immersive video where participants embodied an unhoused person could improve attitudes and behavioral intentions toward unhoused people by making participants experience social exclusion and its psychological repercussions. The study (N = 210) adopted a 2 × 2 between-subject design where participants were assigned to embody an unhoused or housed person either watching the video in VR (in 3D using head-mounted devices) or in 2D (on a monitor). The study included a followup after 9 days. Results revealed that embodying the unhoused person (vs. housed control) led to increased experiences of social exclusion, need-threat, and negative emotions. These experiences, in turn, were associated with reduced negative attitudes toward unhoused individuals and heightened intentions to engage in charitable behaviors. Notably, the effects on attitudes and behavioral intentions persisted at the followup, with a stronger impact observed for participants who embodied the unhoused person in 3D compared to 2D. The findings suggest that tailoring VR video interventions to elicit social exclusion by embodying the perspective of marginalized social groups can enhance intergroup attitudes and intentions over time. Overall, this research underscores the prominence of VR-based interventions in improving intergroup harmony compared to less-immersive paradigms.

Sexual harassment (SH) against women is one of the most worldwide problems. To mitigate its incidence, various programs, including virtual reality (VR), have been developed for both prevention and treatment. 360-degree video has emerged as a subfield of VR capable of inducing the body swap illusion and facilitating perspective-taking (PT), as well as eliciting related emotions. The present study represents a progression from a previously published work, featuring a within-subjects design approach that showed the superiority of the immersive video to elicit empathy compared to a control condition. The aim is to investigate and validate the feasibility of using 360-degree video to foster empathy, PT, and a sense of oneness, potentially reducing violent attitudes toward a female victim of SH compared with a traditional PT task (control condition) in a between-subjects design. Forty Mexican men were randomly assigned to one of the conditions. Results confirmed the feasibility of the 360-degree video in significantly enhancing PT and a sense of oneness compared with the control condition. However, no significant changes were observed for the variables of empathy and violent attitude. Moreover, the findings supported the potential of the 360-degree video in eliciting a sense of ownership and presence with the virtual character and the immersive environment, with ownership showing a positive correlation with empathy and PT. Lastly, participant body awareness was found to be a positive predictor of ownership. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

This study examined the influence of design "nudges" on bystanders' willingness to intervene in online harassment using a social media simulation. Utilizing a 2 × 2 experimental design, we tested the ability of key design features (community guidelines and pop-up messaging) to induce a sense of self-efficacy (low/high) and personal responsibility (low/high) and thence to influence intervention levels. Participants (n = 206) were invited to "beta test" a new social networking site (SNS) for 15 minutes. All participants were exposed to four instances of online harassment against a victim. Bystanders in the low efficacy and high responsibility condition were most likely to intervene, although this finding only applied to "private" (e.g., direct, 1-2-1 messaging) rather than "public" (e.g., posting on a public feed) interventions. Overall, participants preferred "private" interventions that avoided public confrontation. Qualitative insights highlight a perceived lack of transparency in reporting options and a belief that interventions rarely made a difference as the "damage had been done." Results are discussed in relation to the amplification of personal responsibility when the SNS does not provide clear guidelines and reminders. We recommend ways of "designing in" nudges in practice, to facilitate bystander intervention.

Virtual environments like online videogames offer increasingly more people the opportunity to socialize purely within the digital plane. These interactions, often done through customizable avatars, have brought about the concept of the "virtual-self," understood as the multiple identities that can be expressed in virtual environments. This can take many forms and fulfill different psychological roles, from portraying the individual's ideal-self to allowing them to explore what it feels like to be someone completely different. In this study, we used a constructivist perspective to put forward a typology of the different ways in which players construe their virtual identities in online videogames. We administered the repertory grid technique to 202 online videogame players to measure their perceived discrepancies between their actual-self (how they see themselves), ideal-self (how they wish to be), and virtual-self (how they see their main character in a game of their choice). After conducting a cluster analysis, we found three main patterns of virtual-self construal. The projection-type, where players with a high actual-ideal discrepancy created a virtual character resembling their ideal-self; the exploration-type, where players with a lower actual-ideal discrepancy tended to create a character that was different from both their actual and ideal selves; and the proximal-type, where players created characters that were similar to their actual-self. This typology can be a useful resource for any videogame research that wishes to include an identity perspective, as well as in the diagnosis and treatment of internet gaming disorder.

The field of problematic Internet use (PIU) has seen significant academic interest in recent years. In the absence of a universally accepted definition of PIU, a multitude of scales have been developed to evaluate it. Notably, the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS-2), formulated on the cognitive-behavioral model by Caplan, emerges as a significant instrument in this domain. This research conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis of the GPIUS-2. The central aim is to assess its internal structure and reliability. This is achieved by a meta-analysis of the Cronbach's alpha and the factorial structure, which is carried out in the framework of the Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling. The results reveal high internal consistency of the GPIUS-2, support the multidimensional nature of the scale, and provide evidence about the presence of a generalized factor supporting the use of a total scale value as indicator of GPIUS. In addition, the study delineates potential areas for future research aimed at further refining the validity of the GPIUS-2.

Cyberhate, also known as hate speech, has emerged as a significant global concern. Existing research suggests that adolescents are primarily involved in cyberhate as bystanders, mainly unintentionally. However, there is growing evidence that some adolescents intentionally search for such content. Some indications suggest that actively searching for cyberhate may align more closely with sending it than mere exposure, hinting at a potentially risky behavior. Yet, the association between cyberhate searching and sending and the factors that may influence this relation has not been thoroughly explored. Therefore, the present study investigated (1) whether cyberhate searching is associated with sending and (2) whether the need for online popularity and toxic online disinhibition moderate this relation. The sample comprises 2,539 students (49.1 percent boys, 49.2 percent girls, and 1.7 percent others) aged 11-18 years (M = 14.07, SD = 1.39) from 18 middle and high schools in Spain. Self-report questionnaires were administered to assess cyberhate searching and sending, the need for online popularity, and toxic online disinhibition. Results indicated that cyberhate searching is positively associated with sending. Likewise, the high need for online popularity and toxic online disinhibition have strengthened this relation. These findings suggest that searching for cyberhate constitutes a risky behavior and highlight the importance of addressing the need for online popularity and toxic online disinhibition in cyberhate prevention programs.

This study delves into the influence of clickbait types (hyperbole, insinuation, visual rhetoric, and puzzle) and structures (emotion-label and emotion-laden words) on user cognitive and emotional responses in an online environment. Using electroencephalography with 32 internet-experienced participants, we analyzed how these different clickbait configurations affect engagement and processing. Our findings highlight that clickbait types such as hyperbole and visual rhetoric swiftly capture attention and enhance emotional engagement, whereas insinuative and puzzling clickbait demand more cognitive effort and deeper processing. In addition, the structure of emotional words significantly influences user responses; emotion-laden words facilitate quicker cognitive processing and enhance emotional reactions, particularly in contexts involving negative emotions. These insights offer valuable implications for content creators and marketers in strategizing ethical clickbait usage, aiming to balance user engagement with information integrity. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the interplay between content presentation and user perception, providing a foundation for future explorations into ethical digital content practices.

Individuals experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable population for mental and physical health disparities. Despite navigating numerous stressors on a day-to-day basis, they are vastly underrepresented within coping research. Using a person-centered approach, this study addresses ways in which technology is leveraged to manage ongoing stressors associated with the experience of homelessness. We employed a two-step and k-means cluster analysis within a sample of unhoused individuals (n = 66). Two distinct clusters emerged, revealing unique patterning of digital coping, stress, self-efficacy, and technology use. Resulting clusters were validated across numerous health outcomes, including mental and physical health problems, as well as digital service use and experience of homelessness. High digital coping/low self-efficacy individuals (65% of sample) reported high levels of digital self-efficacy, yet lower levels of general self-efficacy. In contrast, low digital engagement/high self-efficacy individuals (35% of sample) engaged in relatively lower digital coping and technology use, with lower stress and higher general self-efficacy. High digital coping/low self-efficacy individuals, in turn, reported more mental and physical health problems; whereas low digital engagement/high self-efficacy reported somewhat decreased digital access. Relatively few differences emerged between the clusters on experiences of homelessness. Due to the transient nature of unhoused people, reaching such vulnerable populations via technology to support their digital coping and subsequently enhance well-being outcomes represents a critical next step for digital equity. This population is poised to benefit from digital equity efforts, with critical implications for reduced health disparities.

To understand the theoretical impact of racial and gender identities on counselor selection, an online experiment was conducted with 527 participants in which both the race and gender of a perspective counselor's online profile were manipulated. Results showed that participants had a higher intention to seek counseling when the counselor was from the same racial and/or gender group. These preferences existed above and beyond other identity-based evaluative metrics, such as those tied to group stereotypes (e.g., warmth and competence). The results advocate for the development and evaluation of culturally tailored digital health interventions and underscore the importance of further formative research in this area to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of healthcare resources for all.