Internet Psychology

Cyberspace Humor
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Truth comes out in jest. In other words, jokes can be silly and funny at the same time as revealing some serious truths. This cartoon from the Atlanta Constitution is a good example. It pokes fun at the issue of internet addiction - which looms large as

Internet Demographics
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Ed Katkin, my advisor in graduate school, used to say that there are two types of researchers: lumpers and splitters. Lumpers look for universal rules and valid generalizations about human behavior. Splitters are more interested in studying how individual

Online Lingo
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Lingo defines a group and makes communication more efficient. These two basic principles are true for all groups - and are especially important in cyberspace where there is a plethora of newly developing groups and technical jargon. The unique lingo

The Black Hole of Cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
So what crossed your mind when you first landed on this page and saw.... nothing? Were you a bit confused, frustrated, annoyed - not sure what was happening, or where you were - maybe for just a split second? Did you doubt yourself, maybe thinking you had

The Two Paths of Virtual Reality
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Lately, it's hard to go through the day without hearing the term virtual reality (VR) somewhere in the media or in conversations going on around you. Did you ever wonder what the term virtual reality actually means? I know I have.

Cyberspace as Dream World, Part 2: Dreams about Palace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Because we have been exploring the parallels between cyberspace and dreams, it makes sense to focus on dreams ABOUT cyberspace. Here I'd like to describe some dreams that users have had about the Palace. Generally speaking, you know something has activate

Cyberspace as Dream World
by John Suler, Ph.D.
You sit almost motionless, relaxed, your eyes focused on a glowing screen - the only source of light in an otherwise dark room. Your fingers tap lightly as your mind converges on the words and images that float before you.

Types of Avatars, Part 3: Visual Social Grease. Avatars: Aberrant Av Behavior
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Like masks of any kind, avatars hide and reveal at the same time. Behind it, people can conceal some personal things about themselves, but the av also selectively amplifies other aspects of their personalities. It may reveal something about the member tha

Types of Avatars, Part 2: Seductive Avatars, Taking It Personal
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Animal Avatars: Animal avatars are some of the most popular at the Palace. Some people come as their pets. Because animals symbolize certain traits or attributes in myth as well as popular culture (e.g., strength, loyalty, grace, independence, cunning

The Psychology of Avatars and Graphical Space
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Visual chat is a simple way to describe them, although they have gone by a variety of other names, such as multimedia chat, GMUKS (graphical multi-user konversations), and habitats, a term coined by Randy Farmer, the first to invent them.

The Online Disinhibition Effect, Part 2
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Absent f2f cues combined with text communication can have an interesting effect on people. Sometimes they feel that their mind has merged with the mind of the online companion. Reading another person's message might be experienced as a voice within one's

The Online Disinhibition Effect
by John Suler, Ph.D.
It's well known that people say and do things in cyberspace that they wouldn't ordinarily say or do in the face-to-face world. They loosen up, feel more uninhibited, express themselves more openly. Researchers call this the disinhibition effect.

Presence in Cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Be here now. That's the advice from some people in humanistic psychology on how to form meaningful relationships and experience life fully. Be right here, in this moment, wholly aware of this place with your eyes, ears, nose, and skin, fully involved

Human Becomes Electric: Networks as Mind and Self
by John Suler, Ph.D.
Psychological and philosophical research can approach the rather fascinating question as to how the internet itself possesses a personality. Old-timers, for example, often lament how the character of the net is changing as new and different types

The Basic Psychological Features Of Cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
The virtual world is quite different than the in-person world. Digitizing people, relationships and groups has stretched the boundaries of how and when humans can interact. In this article we will explore some of the unique psychological features of cyber

Psychology of Cyberspace
by John Suler, Ph.D.
With the advance of computers and online networks - especially the Internet - a new dimension of human experience is rapidly opening up. The term cyberspace has been mentioned so often that it may at this point seem trite and overly commercialized.