Psychology of Information Technology

Forgive my photoshop hacking. My exclusive designer, Rick Wolff, is probably already working on a better version of what I call the “psy-port” symbol as you read this.

The “Psychology of Information Technology”: The Focal Point of PurpleCar.net

The Psychology of Information Technology is, loosely, the study of human interaction with man-made tools. “Technology” as a term encompasses all human inventions, but for PurpleCar.net, we will focus on “information technology,” indicating all computer software and hardware, social networks, mobile phones, Internet culture, data, and related subjects. A more formal definition of Psychology of Information Technology is below.

The Psy-Port Symbol

The symbol I’ve invented to represent Psychology of Information Technology is called a “psy-port.” The name and the graphic are a combination of the traditional Greek letter Psi, the logo for the field of Psychology, and a USB port symbol to represent the technology of connection and data. It will be used to represent the field of Psychology of Information Technology on this blog and where ever else anyone wants to use it. The logo is free for anyone to use in the Psych of IT sense.

Definition of Psychology of Information Technology

psy·chol·o·gy  of   in·for·ma·tion   tech·nol·o·gy     noun

1

: an applied science study of the mental, attitudinal, motivational, or behavioral characteristics of an individual or of a type, class, or group of individuals in the development, maintenance, or use of computer systems, software and networks for the processing and distribution of data

2

the study of human behavior in relation to the generation, delivery, storage, use and sharing of electronic data

Examples of Core Questions for Psychology of Information Technology

How does IT impact our decisions?

Which cultural norms are shifting as a result of pervasive IT?

How does information affect human systems?

Those are just a few questions that fall under the Psych of IT area of study.

Psychology of IT on PurpleCar.net

PurpleCar.net is a media outlet, not a research institution. I concentrate on reporting and offering opinion on the latest research, trends, and topics in the PsyIT area. Because the Psychology of Information Technology is an emerging field, there isn’t a central source or trusted circle of experts yet. As the field grows, thought leaders will begin to shine. In the meantime, I’ll write about the small changes in the culture and other relevant subjects I observe as a citizen and student of the Internet and Web.

Another place I’ve been curating articles is on my new Scoop.it page: Psychology of Information Technology. Please add your resources or suggestions for core questions, areas of study, links to relevant info, etc., in the comments. We can use this blog as a source document if anyone can scrape up anything relevant.

Thanks, all. Looking forward to chatting with you all more about the Psych of IT.