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In contrast to the helpful sources of guidance and regulations for researchers designing and conducting experiments in cyberpsychology, there is very little guidance available for academics and teachers teaching sensitive issues related to behavior in the online world. There are many potential dangers for psychology students when learning about cyberpsychology, ranging from being exposed to upsetting or illegal behaviour viewed in videos or images, to questioning their own sense of morality and understanding of self, to experiencing harassment or hacking. This paper will highlight our own experiences of teaching cyberpsychology to first and third year psychology students, highlighting some of the potential dangers. We suggest recommendations for academics to ensure that students are protected as far as is possible.

Online gambling is relatively easier to access compared to traditional one, so it can pose specific risks to individuals such as causing isolation, lack of interruption and dissociation. Intermittent interactions that require cognitive process can interrupt a task and capture the attentional focus which can help to break the dissociative state of players while playing. This study proposes an approach of using digital tasks to interrupt the dissociation of players during online gambling. We investigated the effectiveness of the approach through mixed methods where participants (N = 50) were invited to the computerised lab experiment and randomised to five conditions. Participants received digital tasks as an interruption while playing online slot gambling and their response time to the interruptions was measured. After the play, participants completed the Jacob's Dissociation Questionnaire, and the Acceptability Questionnaire (both Likert scale and open-ended questions). The analysis revealed that there was a significant main effect of the interruptions in terms of response times, and a significant interaction between the interruptions and the digital tasks. Five main themes were generated after Thematic Analysis of the qualitative data: (1) Distraction, (2) Awareness, (3) User experience, (4) Considerations for design and (5) Considerations for technology. Digital tasks could be potentially useful tools to interrupt players' dissociation during online gambling and support behavioural awareness and change towards more conscious and responsible gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procrastination on social networking sites (SNS) can impact academic performance and user’s well-being. SNSs embed features that encourage users to be always connected and updated, e.g., the notification features. Such persuasive features can exploit peer pressure as well and lead users to believe they are expected to interact immediately, especially for those who may have less impulse control and seek for relatedness and popularity. We argue that SNS can be built to host countermeasures for such behavior and help people regulate their usage and preoccupation about it better. In this paper, we presented a mixed-method study including a qualitative (i.e., focus groups, diary, interviews, and co-design) and a quantitative phase (i.e., a survey) with 334 participants. Through the qualitative phase, we identified: (1) features of an SNS seen by participants as facilitators for procrastination, e.g., notification, immersive design, and surveillance of presence, and (2) countermeasures, such as reminders, chat timer, and goal setting, can be facilitated via SNS design to combat procrastination, and (3) a pairing between the features and the countermeasures. We then (4) confirmed these results and the pairing through the survey phase. Our study showed that countermeasures could be implemented to be universal across all SNS on one or even more device.

Within recent years there has been increasing societal concern around the compulsive and excessive use of digital and Internet-enabled devices, such as the use of social media or online video gaming, and associated psychological and physical harms. However, problematic use or addictive behaviours are not yet included as diagnosable mental health issues in any major diagnostic system in Western countries and the conceptualisations of the phenomena are still inconsistent. To address this issue, the present study reviewed the current conceptualisations of digital addiction used within the research literature and identified common features of the definition of digital addiction. Definitions of the phenomenon were extracted from 47 studies, and they were analysed using a content analysis approach. The initial process assessed definitions for features of digital addiction within Internet, gaming and smartphone addiction. Two higher-order themes were identified, which focused on the harm caused by the phenomenon and on the user’s behaviours associated with the phenomenon. It was also found that key constructs are not specific to the usage domain, i.e. whether it is related to gaming, Internet or smartphone use. Several core features were found across different conceptualisations of digital addiction within the literature; however, it was also noted that some features are subjective and inconsistently applied. If a decision is to be reached on whether the phenomenon is a mental health disorder, then clearer definitions must be created.

The social norms approach is an increasingly widely used strategy of behaviour and attitude change that is based on challenging misperceptions individuals hold about their peers. Research to date has been carried out predominately in the US college system, with a focus on substance use behaviours. The aim of the current study was to explore peer perceptions of both substance use and other behaviours in a British student sample, as the first step in determining whether the social norms approach may be applicable within Europe. Students at eight further education colleges in the UK were surveyed on their personal and perceived peer health and college engagement behaviours and attitudes by means of a printed and online survey. Respondents reported a perceived norm of frequency of substance use that was higher than the reported norm. Results relating to the injunctive norms of substance use were mixed but demonstrated that the majority of respondents do not actively approve of tobacco, cannabis or other drug use. Respondents also reported a norm of academic engagement that was more positive than the perceived norm of their peers. The results relating to substance use are consistent with work conducted in the US college system, despite the differences in culture and legislation. In addition, the results indicate that there may be similar misperceptions around other areas of health and college engagement. This suggests that the social norms approach may be a viable method of behaviour change in UK students.