From: D Nicoll <ejuv19@festival.ed.ac.uk>
Subject: SOC: VR and society?
Date: 12 Jul 93 18:35:57 GMT




I'm interested in any research on the psycho-social-economic impact of
VR on society. I begin my postgrad studies, socio-economic research
into technology, in Oct. and am desperate for information, references,
ideas.

My undergraduate degree focused on the relationship between technology
and consciousness. In particular, non-f2f methods of psychotherapeutic
communication involving technology. I hope to expand and extend this
in my Ph.D.. One idea I'm particularly interested in how the
'collective consciousness' (consensus reality) of society is altering.
Could this be through the situation of how certain cognitive processes
are becoming extant in information technologies? This idea, I
understand, centres on the gradual and 'real' process of being
absorbed into cyberspace, quite different from reading the book/s,
where one's mind set shifts, as in most Sci-Fi (or come to that, most
fiction), very quickly, and certainly... from the mundane (your
reading space) to the fantastic (the book's space).  

On my course, I wish to make a proper assessment of this absorbtion
rate, and this will form the social, macrocosmic level of my study.
The other extreme is the effect on the individual.  Opposite to he
sociological perspective I wish to study the effects of making
cognitive processes extant. In particular, idiosyncratic and
particularly individual processes that a person may posses. There
still exists many restraints in HCI. These constraints constitute a
less than obvious call by the technology for adherence to codes and
rules. Often people respond idiosyncratically when faced with
restrictions. Their learning processes, in the consideration of
problems, are the ques that may be taken to make 'extant' some of
their 'individuality', into hypermedia-type 'pathways', that are
created especially for them and their reactions.

Making extant this individuality may have consequences, at a
'meta-level' for the persons themselves. What may they be?

We all have a map of reality inside our heads. We have mapped, and
have had mapped our ways and means of 'humanly' processing
information. What is the effects of absorbtion into cyberspace?  the
effects on the part (the individual) and the whole (society).
Information seems to be growing, both in quantity, and in density,
nodes and dendrites; yet we all maintain to greater and lesser degrees
conservative moral, ethical and perhaps unfounded standards. Are they
compatible? Is the infosphere torquing, against our standard of
living? I don't know.

Any advice, comment, criticism.


Derek William Nicoll
Dept. Of Psychology
Edinburgh Univ.