NJIT's Julie Ancis Explores Cyberpsychology's Role in Modern Computing in ACM Publication

In a new article featured in Communications of the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM), NJIT Distinguished Professor Julie Ancis explores how cyberpsychology — the study of the two-way relationship between people and technology — is reshaping modern computing.

Presenting more than a single experiment or dataset, Ancis offers a sweeping synthesis that pulls together decades of behavioral and computing research. Her article, “Cyberpsychology’s Influence on Modern Computing,” argues that understanding the human mind is no longer optional in the digital age — it’s the missing half of responsible innovation.

Communications of the ACM — one of the world’s most widely read computing research journals — marks a milestone for both NJIT and the growing discipline of cyberpsychology. By placing her framework before an international audience of scientists, engineers and technology leaders, Ancis strengthens recognition of a field that unites human behavior with digital design.

As founding director of NJIT’s Cyberpsychology program, one of the few such programs within a technological research university especially at the bachelor’s level, Ancis examines how human factors both influence and are influenced by computing — from cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to misinformation, virtual reality and the evolving workplace.

“Technology is only as effective as our understanding of the humans who create and use it,” said Ancis. “Integrating psychological science into computing innovation ensures that progress remains effective, ethical, and human-centered.”

A Framework for a Reciprocal Discipline

At its core, cyberpsychology asks a simple question: how do humans and technology mutually shape one another in our increasingly digital world? Ancis defines the field as one that studies how technology impacts cognition, emotion and social behavior — and how psychological insights can, in turn, inform our understanding of what happens in online spaces.

In her paper “The Age of Cyberpsychology: An Overview,” published in the inaugural issue of the American Psychological Association’s Technology, Mind, and Behavior Journal in 2020, she identified five broad arenas where computing, technology and psychology meet: online behavior and personality; social media and mental health; gaming and immersive environments; telepsychology; and virtual and artificial intelligence applications.

Across these domains, her framework stresses a reciprocal loop between people and systems. Psychological research helps explain how users behave in digital environments, while computing models illuminate patterns of human perception and decision-making. Understanding that feedback is essential for building technologies that align with human values rather than undermine them.

Take cybersecurity. Ancis points out that emotions and cognitive shortcuts often override logic. Many users claim to value privacy yet overshare online — a behavior known as the “privacy paradox.” Even experts can be fooled by social-engineering attacks when under stress or fatigue. She highlights programs such as IARPA’s ReSCIND initiative, which uses behavioral insight to strengthen threat detection and network resilience.

And in social media, Ancis is investigating strategies for influencers to combat online hate. The ubiquity of online communication platforms has enabled the widespread dissemination of hate speech, leading to the normalization of prejudicial expressions. Ancis and her peer Michael Fire from Ben-Gurion University, through the Institute for Future Technologies partnership, are analyzing influencers' content, strategies and networks to understand their online impact.

Human Insight for AI, Virtual Reality and Work

Ancis also traces how psychological theory now underpins advances in artificial intelligence and virtual reality. AI systems increasingly model perception, emotion and judgment so they can interact more naturally with people. Likewise, VR designers borrow psychological constructs such as social presence, flow and emotional engagement to make digital worlds feel authentic.

These ideas translate into practice — from VR exposure therapy that helps treat phobias and PTSD, to AI-based emotional analytics improving education and patient care. Each example underscores her argument that computational power alone isn’t enough, and progress depends on the quality of the human insight behind it.

That same principle extends to the workplace. As automation and AI transform industries, thriving in this environment will hinge as much on psychological readiness as on technical skill. Hybrid and remote work have created new strains — constant connectivity, fractured focus, blurred boundaries. New research is identifying how technology can help workers sustain both well-being and productivity.

Addressing Misinformation and Building Ethical Systems

The article further examines how misinformation exploits natural human tendencies such as emotional arousal and confirmation bias. Ancis points to behavioral-science approaches like prebunking — introducing audiences to weakened forms of falsehoods to build resistance — and cognitive-bias training that encourages reflection before sharing content. Combined with algorithmic tools that slow impulsive reposting, such strategies can foster healthier online ecosystems.

Throughout the piece, she calls for a paradigm shift that positions cyberpsychology alongside computer science recognizing the profound reciprocal influence and their critical interconnection in the modern world. She envisions transdisciplinary academic programs that train engineers, data scientists, and psychologists together to design systems that consider cognitive processes, motivation, empathy and ethics from the outset.

The next generation of computing innovation, she writes, will depend on our ability to integrate the psychological sciences with computational power.