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Cognitive Science's Cultural Turn, Cyberpsychology and the Necessity of Philosophical Foundations

Publication at Faculty of Education |
2021

Abstract

An increasing number of cognitive scientists are realizing the inescapable need of acknowledging cultural differences in the study of cognition. This move involves the recognition that even basic cognitive processes appear to be modified by the environment and culture in which a person is situated.

At the same time, the emerging field of cyberpsychology, i.e. psychological investigation of the mind and behavior in the context of interactions with digital, informational technologies seems to be consolidating without such awareness. Recent works on philosophical anthropology and sociology claim that the changes related to the popularization of digital technologies have profound impacts on the anthropological self-understanding of the "digital man" and the digital culture of which they are both the creation and the creator.

Based on such works, I want to argue that failing to recognize these profound cultural differences between those with different immersion in digital technology endangers the whole endeavor of cyberpsychology to be unprejudiced and impartial. This goal will be achieved by exploring both recent publications in the journal "Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace" and in the annual "CyberPsychology, CyberTherapy & Social Networking Conference", and show that great part of the published material fails to take into consideration these constitutive differences.

Both works on contemporary cognitive science and philosophy of technology will serve as foundation and guidance for progress in cyberpsychology to overcome the aforementioned tendencies.