Internet Psychology

Cyberspace Romances
by John Suler, Ph.D.
In this Interview with Jean-Francois Perreault of Branchez-vous! I talk about romances on the internet. What factors lead someone to a cyber-romance? Is it the exotic quality of it? The exotic quality of a cyber-romances might be one factor that attracts

Conflict in Cyberspace: How to Resolve Conflict Online
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Have you ever noticed how conflict can get blown out of proportion online? What may begin as a small difference of opinion, or misunderstanding, becomes a major issue very quickly. Conflict can be difficult at the best of times but what is it about online

E-Mail Communication and Relationships, Part 3
by John Suler, Ph.D.
On the positive side, the beauty of e-mail is that you have the opportunity to contact people from around the world. The challenge, however, is that people from around the world have different customs for conversing and developing relationships.

E-Mail Communication and Relationships, Part 2
by John Suler, Ph.D.
An e-mail message can be dissected into seven components: (1) the sender's name as indicated in your inbox, (2) the subject line, as indicated in your inbox, (3) the greeting that introduces the body of the message, (4) the body of message, including quot

E-Mail Communication and Relationships
by John Suler, Ph.D.
E-mail may be the most important, unique method for communicating and developing relationships since the telephone. First of all, it is easy to use. People also find it familiar and safe because it is similar in many respects to writing letters - minus

Transient and Long Term Online Relationships
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Some have criticized cyberspace as a realm of superficial and/or transient relationships. While these do indeed exist, they nevertheless form a cornerstone of the cyberspace experience and are therefore worthy of psychological investigation.

The Psychology of Cyberspace Relationships
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Whether you like it or not, cyberspace has become the new frontier in social relationships. People are making friends, colleagues, lovers, and enemies on the Internet. The fervor with which many people have pursued this new social realm is matched by

Bringing Online and Offline Living Together: The Integration Principle
by John Suler, Ph.D.
If there are any universally valid principles in psychology, one of them must be the importance of integration: the fitting together and balancing of the various elements of the psyche to make a complete, harmonious whole.

Y2K: Apocalyptic Thinking and the Tragic Flaw
by John Suler, Ph.D.
What will happen when the clock strikes 01.01.01.01.01.00? Will elevators stop dead between floors, power plants shut down, and airplanes fall out of the sky? Will the internet and communication infrastructures crash? Will the world's economy collapse

On Being a God
by John Suler, Ph.D.
An Interview with Jim Bumgardner. Jim Bumgardner is the creator of the Palace, the graphical chat environment that is one of the most unique community-building software on the internet. I first met Jim up at Nrutas, the room at the Mansion

Making Wiz. . Wizards: The heart of an online community, Part 3
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Most members would like to become a wizard. The more you hang out at Palace, the more noticeable and attractive wizardship becomes. A few members say that they're not concerned about it. Some of those users may be rationalizing their disinterest.

Dynamics of the Expanding Wizard Clan. Wizards: The heart of an online community, Part 2
by John Suler, Ph.D.
When Palace first opened in November of 1995, the wizard group consisted of a handful of people. Over the coming year, as the community grew larger, the size of wizard group had to be increased. It expanded to over 60 by the spring of 1997.

Wizards: The heart of an online community
by John Suler, Ph.D.
The multimedia chat software called Palace has spawned a complex online community. There are many Palace sites located on servers across the internet, each being a unique visual/auditory environment where members use small graphics called avatars

Adolescents in Cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
What draws adolescents to the world of the internet? What are the benefits and dangers of their exploring this new realm that may very well become a cornerstone of the new millennium into which they will grow as adults? What Makes Adolescents Tick.

Regressive behavior in cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Talking on the Internet, people regress. It's that simple. That's how Holland begins his paper. And then he proceeds to back up his statement with an intriguing psychoanalytic (emphasizing drive theory) analysis of what he considers the three major signs

Computer and Cyberspace Addiction
by John Suler, Ph.D.
A heated debate is rising among psychologists. With the explosion of excitement about the internet, some people seem to be a bit too excited. Some people spend way too much time there. Is this yet ANOTHER type of addiction that has invaded the human

Transference to computers and cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Think of your husband or wife, or your romantic relationship, or a close friend. Think about some important characteristic of that individual's personality - a characteristic or trait in that person to which you have a strong emotional reaction, positive

Personality Types in Cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
The basic psychological features of online environments shape how people and groups behave in those realms. But that's only half the story. Online behavior will always be determined by how those features interact with the characteristics of the people in

The Psychology of the Individual in Cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Who are you in cyberspace? Am I the same John Suler I am in-person or someone a bit different? One of the interesting things about the internet is the opportunity if offers people to present themselves in a variety of different ways.

The Psychology of Coping with Spam
by John Suler, Ph.D.
In the early days, people on the Internet eagerly encouraged communication. They wanted to share ideas in an inviting, trusting atmosphere. As the population in cyberspace boomed - as large chunks of the internet took shape as market place, soapbox