Cyberpsychology is the interdisciplinary study of the psychological aspects of human-computer interaction and digital environments. It encompasses an array of topics, such as online privacy, social engineering, cyberbullying, and online addiction, among others. By examining the human side of cybersecurity, cyberpsychologists aim to understand the cognitive and behavioral factors that contribute to cybercrime and how to mitigate them.

Cybersecurity has been and will continue to be a critical aspect of our ever-evolving digital landscape. However, while technology and infrastructure play a crucial role in safeguarding against cybercrime, the human psyche can prove to be a formidable adversary. As research has shown, human error remains a leading cause of data breaches and cyberattacks, thus highlighting the significance of cyberpsychology in the context of cybersecurity.

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology, the potential for cybercrime grows, and individuals and organizations are susceptible to attack. Understanding how the human psyche can facilitate cyberattacks and how individuals and organizations can be better prepared to counteract them is vital. The field of cyberpsychology has a crucial role to play in this regard, as it seeks to provide a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the psychological and behavioral aspects of cybercrime.

How does the digital world shape human psychology?

The digital world has had a profound impact on human psychology, shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in ways that are still being understood. The rapid pace of technological advancement has created an environment in which people are constantly connected to the digital realm, leading to new forms of social interaction, self-expression, and information consumption.

The influence of the digital world on human psychology can be seen in the ways in which people use technology to regulate their emotions, manage their relationships, and form their identities, including aspects of identity security. For example, the rise of social media has led to a new form of self-presentation, where individuals are able to craft and maintain a carefully curated online persona that may differ significantly from their offline self. This can result in feelings of pressure to conform to social norms and expectations, leading to anxiety, low self-esteem, and other mental health issues.

Moreover, the digital world has also led to changes in the way people think, process information, and make decisions. With an endless stream of information and stimuli available at our fingertips, people are becoming increasingly adept at multitasking and quickly switching between tasks. This can result in a decreased ability to focus, retain information, and make decisions, as well as increased feelings of stress and anxiety.

Social media and online gaming addictions

Online gaming and social media addiction refer to a condition in which individuals become excessively and compulsively engaged in playing video games and surfing online, often to the detriment of their daily life activities. It is a complex issue that has been shaped by a number of psychological, social, and technological factors and is becoming increasingly prevalent in our digital world.

One of the key factors contributing to online gaming addiction is the design of the games themselves. Many online games are designed to be highly engaging, with intricate narratives, challenging gameplay, and rewards for progress, which can result in feelings of pleasure, excitement, and accomplishment. These feelings can be highly addictive, leading individuals to spend excessive amounts of time playing games, even at the expense of other important activities.

Moreover, the social nature of online gaming also contributes to its addictiveness. Many online games offer opportunities for players to interact with others, form relationships, and compete with one another. This can result in feelings of connectedness and social support, which can be particularly appealing for individuals who struggle with socializing offline.

FOMO

FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, refers to the anxiety or discomfort that individuals experience when they believe that they are missing out on valuable or enjoyable experiences or opportunities. This feeling is often driven by the belief that others are having experiences or enjoying opportunities that they themselves are not. FOMO can be triggered by a wide range of events, including social gatherings, cultural events, and travel experiences, but it is particularly associated with the use of social media and the constant exposure to other people’s experiences and lifestyles.

In the context of social media, FOMO can be fueled by the constant stream of images and updates from friends, family, and acquaintances, which can create an unrealistic and distorted view of other people’s lives and experiences. This can lead individuals to feel like they are missing out on important events or opportunities and to experience feelings of regret, envy, and dissatisfaction.

FOMO can have a negative impact on mental health, causing feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression and contributing to feelings of low self-esteem and self-worth. It can also lead to compulsive behaviors, such as constantly checking social media or overcommitting to social events, which can negatively impact other areas of life, including work, relationships, and physical health.

In conclusion, FOMO is a complex and increasingly prevalent phenomenon that is closely related to the use of social media and the digital world. It is important for individuals to be aware of its potential impact on their mental health and to develop healthy coping strategies to manage the feelings of anxiety and discomfort associated with FOMO.

What is meant by cyberpsychology?

Cyberpsychology is an interdisciplinary field of study that focuses on the psychological and behavioral aspects of human interaction with technology, particularly in the digital world. It examines the effects of technology on individuals, groups, and society and seeks to understand how the use of technology affects human thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Cyberpsychology covers a wide range of topics, including online behavior, social media use, internet addiction, online identity, online relationships, and the impact of technology on mental health. It also explores the psychological and cognitive processes that underlie human interaction with technology, such as attention, memory, decision-making, and perception.

Cyberpsychology is a rapidly growing field that is becoming increasingly important as technology continues to play a central role in our daily lives. It provides a framework for understanding the complex and dynamic relationship between human psychology and technology and for developing new approaches to addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by the digital world.

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What is the importance of cyberpsychology?

Cyberpsychology;

• helps to understand the impact of technology on human behavior and mental health. Cyberpsychology studies the effects of technology on individuals and society, including the impact of social media, online gaming, and internet addiction on mental health, self-esteem, and well-being.
• provides insights into the psychological and cognitive processes involved in human-technology interaction. Cyberpsychology investigates the psychological and cognitive processes that underlie human interaction with technology, such as attention, memory, decision-making, and perception.
• informs the design of technology to support human needs and well-being. By understanding the psychological and behavioral effects of technology, cyberpsychology can inform the design of technology to better support human needs and well-being, such as reducing the risk of internet addiction and promoting healthy online behavior.
• contributes to the development of new approaches to address the challenges posed by the digital world. Cyberpsychology is a rapidly growing field that is dedicated to understanding and addressing the challenges posed by the digital world, including online harassment, cyberbullying, and privacy concerns.
• helps to foster responsible and ethical use of technology. By providing a deeper understanding of the impact of technology on human behavior and mental health, cyberpsychology can help individuals and society to use technology in a responsible and ethical manner, promoting positive outcomes and reducing the risks associated with technology use.

The bridge between cybersecurity and psychology

One may question the correlation between the domains of psychology and cybersecurity. While cybersecurity may appear to be purely a realm of information technology, it is actually significantly linked to psychology. The reason for this is that the human mind can act as a facilitator for cybercrime. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that human error remains a prominent factor contributing to numerous data breaches.

The field of cyberpsychology encompasses several key areas of study, including:

• Social engineering: A crucial aspect of cyberpsychology, this area explores how individuals can be manipulated into divulging confidential information or performing actions that put their digital security at risk.
• Online privacy: This aspect of cyberpsychology investigates the privacy implications of digital technology, including privacy concerns related to personal information, as well as privacy protection strategies.
• Cyberbullying: This aspect of cyberpsychology studies the use of digital technology to bully, harass, or intimidate individuals and the psychological impact it has on its victims.

Individuals can be easily influenced to engage in actions that enable cyberattacks, such as spear phishing, which is a targeted attack designed to deceive specific individuals into disclosing confidential information, downloading malicious attachments, or clicking on untrustworthy links, leading to a malware infection on their endpoints.

This type of attack, among others, including phishing, vishing, ransomware, and CEO fraud, leverages social engineering tactics, which are frequently utilized by cybercriminals. Social engineering attacks are successful due to psychological manipulation, highlighting the importance of understanding the intersection between psychology and cybersecurity.

Despite the presence of robust cybersecurity measures, personal information or confidential data can still be compromised. Without awareness of the manipulation tactics employed by cybercriminals, one may fall victim to social engineering attacks, resulting in the loss of sensitive information such as login credentials, financial details, or even funds.

Therefore, the study of social engineering in the context of cyberpsychology is crucial in mitigating the impact of psychological manipulation on individual behavior and preventing the compromise of sensitive information.

The area of online privacy is a significant subject of investigation within the field of cyberpsychology. Researchers in this field are seeking answers to various questions related to privacy protection, such as:

• The influence of age on privacy-protective behavior on social media
• The extent of individuals’ concern for protecting their online privacy
• The privacy protection methods employed by individuals online

Additionally, the study of cyberbullying has its roots in the widespread utilization of technology among teenagers and the aim to examine the psychological impact of victimization. Research has established that online harassment can have a lasting psychological effect on individuals, resulting in serious psychological, social, and emotional issues. Unfortunately, the scope of cyberbullying is rapidly expanding and affecting entire communities and even the workplace.

Hence, the study of online privacy and cyberbullying is essential in understanding the psychological implications of technology usage and in developing effective strategies to protect individuals and communities from its adverse effects.

Supporting cybersecurity with psychology

Frequently, individuals are not equipped to handle the complexities of cybercrime. Despite possessing some level of cybersecurity knowledge, they may struggle to identify the indicators of cyberattacks when faced with real-world situations. As a result, they may misjudge the risks they are subjecting themselves and their work to.

How can psychology increase cybersecurity?

The inadequacy of individuals’ preparedness to handle cybercrime is a prevalent issue in the field of cybersecurity. Even if individuals have some basic cybersecurity knowledge, they may be unable to effectively apply it when faced with actual cybercrime scenarios. This can result in a failure to recognize the tell-tale signs of cyberattacks and leave individuals and their workplaces vulnerable to cybercrime.

Moreover, individuals may exhibit a lack of risk perception, leading to incorrect assessments of the risks they are exposing themselves and their work to. This highlights the need for individuals to be trained in effective risk assessment and the ability to apply it in real-life situations to avoid becoming victims of cybercrime.

Therefore, the importance of education and awareness in the field of cyberpsychology cannot be overstated. Through education and awareness campaigns, individuals can be equipped with the knowledge and skills required to identify and mitigate potential cybercrime risks, thereby enhancing their overall cybersecurity posture.

How to become a cyberpsychology expert?

Becoming an expert in cyberpsychology requires a combination of education and experience.

Cyberpsychology courses

Taking a specialized course in cyberpsychology can provide you with an in-depth understanding of the field, including the psychological aspects of cybersecurity and the methods used by cybercriminals.

Cyberpsychology degree

To become a cyberpsychology expert, it’s essential to start with a strong educational foundation. This can be achieved through a bachelor’s degree in psychology, computer science, information technology, or a related field.

Cyberpsychology master’s degree

A master’s degree in cyberpsychology will allow you to specialize in the field and acquire the advanced knowledge and skills that are required to become an expert.

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Tips

• Gain practical experience: To become an expert in cyberpsychology, you need to have hands-on experience. Consider internships, volunteering, or working in the field of cybersecurity. This will give you practical experience and help you develop a deeper understanding of the field.
• Stay up to date with the latest trends and advancements: Cyberpsychology is a rapidly evolving field, and it is essential to stay up to date with the latest developments, trends, and advancements. Consider attending conferences, workshops and reading relevant literature.
• Consider obtaining certifications: Obtaining relevant certifications, such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), or Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), can demonstrate your expertise and increase your credibility in the field.

Final words

In conclusion, cyberpsychology plays a critical role in understanding and addressing the human factors that contribute to the ever-increasing threat of cybercrime. From social engineering and online privacy to cyberbullying, the impact of technology on the human psyche is becoming increasingly relevant.

As individuals, it is important to be aware of the ways in which our behavior and thought processes can enable cybercrime and to take proactive measures to protect ourselves and our sensitive information. For organizations, a comprehensive understanding of cyberpsychology and the human factors involved in cybersecurity is crucial to developing effective strategies for mitigating risk and ensuring the protection of sensitive information.

Ultimately, it is through an interdisciplinary approach that combines technical and psychological expertise that we can fully address the complex challenges of cybercrime and safeguard our digital world. If you are eager to learn about this topic, we highly recommend this journal: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

Here is why Data Scientists need to think like a behavioural economist or psychologist when they communicate or story tell their insights. This helps companies to take concrete and bias-free decisions to acquire customers, retain employees and deal with managers within the organization.

Picture this scenario: There are two investment firms which have each introduced competing products. Both firms have gathered information about their clients and are trying to group them in order to accurately match these new products with their clients’ needs. There is a high risk of losing clients if the firms don’t offer the right product fit or bother them with non targeted messaging. Furthermore, one of the companies wants to use this data to shake up the current internal processes to add value by being more competitive not only because of the introduction of new products but from reshaping the company as a whole.

Firm A has been using advanced clustering algorithms to identify different customer profiles in an attempt to target new clients to offer these new financial instruments. While the firm has been careful to gather pertinent behaviour profile information on these new clients, they have also been careful to address the needs of the IT department and keep the collection of data from transactions, social media behavior, client needs and life goals, etc. to a minimum and store as little as possible.

Meanwhile, Firm B follows a different approach. It knows the behaviour is messy, and that even a seemingly unimportant bit of data can turn out to be highly explanatory. The firm, therefore, collects as much as they legally can, stores it, and their IT department has also figured out how to deal with the large volume of data. The firm also gathers behavioural, process and performance data at different points in time regarding how old products have evolved and merges them with customer related behavioural data.

While both firms A and B are successful with the new release, the customer churn for firm B is lower as they were able to outline the main focus of customers. For instance, based on the data collected and the analysis, they knew which customers were checking their accounts during the weekend and could accordingly guide their customer service team.

This allowed the firm to have a new product in the market based on the real need of its customers and not just a  “gut feeling”. Additionally, the firm was able to efficiently staff up the customer service department and introduced, among other measures, earning-sharing mechanisms that fostered the openness and dedication of all departments to customers. This improved the customer journey and set the pace to transform and change the behaviour of the different departments that had touch points with the customers.

In this, factual example, there is only one more ingredient to add – customers were able to opt-in from the start knowing who, how and for what their data was used which decreased churn and increased their willingness and engagement with firm B. What we see here is that behaviour matters and when linked with data, it can completely change the rules of the game about engagement, customers and companies. It is important to think carefully about how bits of data might somehow reveal counterintuitive or unexpected aspects of a customer or employees behaviour.

This is a clear example of how data, used to support and to foster change requires a deep understanding of the human aspects that are behind it. Technology and data can make companies act smarter but human sciences and behaviour will differentiate them from the rest making change and transformation easier. If a change of mindset is required to turn a traditional company into a digital one where data-driven decision-making is at the core, data science needs to meet social sciences to think more broadly incorporating not only the economic context of the company but also its human dimension first.

Below are three key behavioural ideas that modern-day data scientists need to take into account:

Actions don ́t always follow the data

Data is supposed to be objective, as it might inform about facts that have taken place. The problem is how we transform data into information and information into knowledge for our decision-making process and actions hereafter. Human brains need to process information to make daily business judgments and decisions and it is at that point in which another kind of bias (and a strong one) comes into play – cognitive bias. This is a human ́s inalienable feature by default which makes us eat less if we sit in front of a mirror, or imitate others behaviour in an elevator when they stare at a certain place without asking.

This is the behavioural side that data scientists must have when they want to provide actionable data insights. They need to think like a behavioural economist or psychologist when they communicate or story tell their insights. Knowing one’s audience is key in this case. They need to jump out of their shoes and not only think of different ways that they might draw conclusions from their data, but they need to understand the minds of the managers who will use these insights as an input in their decision-making process and their eventual actions. This will allow them to coordinate behaviour and data to avoid the possible confirmation biases that managers may often fall prey to.

Good data sources – Strategic data foresight

As in the example mentioned at beginning of this article, data needs to be collected from multiple sources (such as social media, Net Promoter Score surveys etc.) and shouldn’t only focus on present needs. A cost-benefit analysis needs to be carried out to determine and size the data that will be gathered. Are we looking just to sell a new product or to be the best sellers of that new product? The more data we can combine and the further ahead into the future we can look will determine not only our success to provide actionable insights but to establish the need and reliability of the gathering-analysis-decision- action cycle within companies.

Furthermore, from the point in time in which we decide that this kind of analysis will be useful to the time in which we are able to draw conclusions, there is a time lapse. This delay requires us to think in advance about the experimental design, future hypothesis and the small nuances in behavioural data that can make the difference.

As an example, recall the experiment done in Stanford in 1975 in which a group of students had to classify the authenticity of suicide notes. Two groups were formed and after the experiment took place; both groups were assigned a score of either high or low based on their ability to choose the actual notes from the fake notes. Both groups were then told that they performed average as a whole. Despite this, the group that scored high points, still believed that they could accurately pick the actual notes from the fake notes and the group that scored low points believed that they couldn’t accurately pick the actual notes from the fake notes. This indicated that their perception was anchored to their assigned score rather than the actual ‘facts’ presented to them. This is something that data scientists need to consider not only in the next A/B test that they design but also in the way they collect and present data.

Harnessing the power of visual perception

One important part of a data scientist’s everyday job in corporations is to highlight actionable data insights that will drive change. With an array of code-free plug and play solutions and new tools, coding is becoming ‘easier’. The democratization of data science thanks to this, is bringing the power of analytics to more people’s hands and therefore the need of visualizations to convey real insights for less deep data analysts. Again, behaviour plays a big part in this. The need to understand the aspects of visual perception is becoming critical for data analytics and business intelligence professionals who need to design dashboards and tools to translate their findings into a managerial language and bridge the gap between the complex abstract thinking behind data analysis and the potential need for organizational change.

Conclusion

These are just three examples of the way in which behaviour and data are closely intertwined. This trend is here to stay and will grow as sound data analysis is adopted by more companies in their decision-making processes. In the new reality of data science, math/stats, coding and IT are not the only ingredients required to be a successful actor of change as a data scientist. Behaviour from data gathering to visualization are critical tools every data scientist should have in their toolbox. We are definitely at a crossroads between behaviour and data in which those who successfully incorporate the former to their analysis will have an advantage through a better understanding of not only their customers but also of the mindset of organizations.

References:

Zimbardo, Philip. “Stanford Prison Experiment.” Stanford Prison Experiment, 2019, www.prisonexp.org/.

Competitve Edge, a new digital platform, will be providing Big Data insights into the world of Fantasy Football from August onwards. Beyond the traditional approach of picking players based on past performance metrics, Competitive Edge will allow users to make informed decisions based on mental, physical and environmental factors which could impact a player’s performance.

Michael Wilson, a Co-Founder of Competitive Edge, discussed the advantages of using behavioural psychology when picking the perfect team. “We believe the saying that football is 10 percent physical and 90 percent mental holds true, and using data to make smart fantasy picks is an untapped advantage. We’re providing insights and information that has not been seen before with the purpose of guiding fantasy players to make more informed decisions. This will, in return, provide positive measurable results in your fantasy sports picks.”

Factors the system will aggregrate will include:

• Physical- Not just up-to-date injury reports, but also information on historical injuries which could affect performance
• Mental- ‘Intangibles’ which could affect a player’s state of mind
• Environmental- Data on weather, altitude, region, types of offence & defence

Competitive Edge will become available in time for this year’s Fantasy Football season and will cost $5 a month. They are already working on extending their platform to include baseball, basketball, soccer and boxing. With 32 million people playing fantasy sports each year in any industry that’s worth $4 billion, companies exploiting performance metrics like Competitive Edge could prove highly successful.

Read more here.
(Photo credit: Johann Schwarz)