The interface between computers and psychology: Toward a psychology of computerization

摘要

The computer has made itself felt virtually everywhere in modern life, including psychology. In fact, the literature that is concerned with computer-related issues indicates that there are four areas where the computing and psychological sciences have come to interact with each other on a consistent basis. The major dimensions of this computer-psychology interface are: artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, clinical/educational applications, and the question of the impact of computers on human identity. A phenomenology of the computer-related psychological literature indicates that each of these four areas includes a specific group of core issues, key research studies, and leading authors. This article describes the major issue that characterizes each dimension of the computer-psychology interface, and argues that it is time for psychology to formally recognize the importance of this emerging psychology of computerization.