The Origin and Current Status of Cyberpsychology in Russia

Abstract

Theory, history (several decades long), and the current status of the studies in cyberpsychology in the USSR and later in Russia are presented in a condensed form. Socio-historic theory of psychic development, introduced by Vygotsky in 1930s, and particularly ideas of semiotic mediation, seem to offer the best perspectives in cyberpsychological studies. A brief historic overview in this article combines general conclusions and personal memories. Directions of the current studies are briefly described as well. This section starts with studies made within the new communities which emerged with the advance of information technologies; special attention is given to hackers and gamers. The section proceeds with the studies of children’s behavior on the Internet. Finally, research in the field of Internet Addiction Disorder is discussed. The current status of cyberpsychology as a non-universally accepted discipline, in which new generations of specialists are deeply interested, is discussed. Methodological work is presented as the major source of progress in the near future. The reference section includes publications in English and several recommended books which are available exclusively in Russian.