September 2008 Archives

Anyone who feels that a deeper understanding of psychological processes will help ensure the success of social media that they are invested in or help enhance their appreciation of the social media they personally use.

David C. Evans Ph.D., CEO of Psychster. I have enjoyed 10 fascinating years researching online social psychological behavior and applying the lessons to both my own and my clients' social media websites.

Each blog will cover an established psychological process and the way it affects usage of a specific social media feature. This is intended for people who already know a lot about the dot-com business (designers, developers, marketers, power-users, and executives) and wish to better understand the usage and social context of their software. This utilitarian approach (and my busy schedule) prevents me from reporting on current research debates and new innovation, although I invite all readers to comment on the work of similar minds - for the benefit of all.

Here is a table of contents of upcoming blogs.

1. Persuasion norms affecting registration for a site.

2. Signal detection theory affecting email newsletters and SPAM.

3. Reinforcement schedules affecting reach, frequency, and stickiness.

4. Attentional capacity affecting synchronous software like instant messaging.

5. Group polarization affecting comments, chats, and forums.

6. Gestalt cognitive affects on navigation and banner blindness.

7. Connectionist affects on navigation, understanding, and expectations.

8. Dynamic social networks and their affect on viral marketing.

9. The Big-5 personality domains and user segments & personae.

10. Omega theories of persuasion and marketing messages.

11. Interpersonal perception and dating sites.

12. Eriksonian developmental stages affecting adolescent users.

I will do my best to post new entries twice monthly. The more people subscribe to an RSS feed, the more likely I am to keep this promise - a classic effect of social facilitation on blogging. Enjoy.