The Emerging Nature of Psychology of Technology

Abstract

Technology has been transforming our behavior ever since early man started using it to enhance his adaptability but it has never been more so than at present. Whereas psychology is a relatively new science with less than 150 years of history and its first laboratory being established only at the end of the nineteenth century, many new subfields of psychology have emerged since then helping us to understand the nature of behavior in various domains of life (e.g., industry, education, business, religion, environment, and many more). Unfortunately, the development of psychology of technology has hitherto remained in a very nascent stage with its growth being nested under other subfields of psychology such as industrial psychology and human factors engineering. In this chapter, namely, Chap. 1, we have highlighted the fact that as compared to the growth of philosophy of science, that of philosophy of technology is fairly short. Yet, the latter has reinforced the emergence of the new field of psychology of technology with the realization that technology is not just a tool: rather, it creates a new reality as described by Heidegger, Ihde, Latour, and others. In addition to describing the fundamental nature of psychology of technology as a subfield of psychology, we have emphasized the four goals of this field—basic research, applications, applicability, and its applied aspects—all four of which are usually considered important in all fields of psychology so as to ensure the comprehensive growth of the discipline. Further, what has also been discussed is that the relationship of psychology with technology has been viewed in many forms: for example, the two disciplines maintaining their independent identity and at the same time relating with each other as per mutual need. It has, however, now become mandatory that we view issues relating behavior with technology so as to develop a comprehensive subfield of psychology of technology. Being interdisciplinary in nature, this subfield invites convergence with many diverse disciplines ranging from sociology to biology and anthropology to communication technology. In short, the chapter deals with two mainstreams of this field: one that is predominantly humanistic and the other, technological. The reader is invited to form her own judgment as to whether the former is the heart of psychology of technology with the latter being its scientific mind. That said, the chapter focuses on the significance of ethical issues raised commonly in the study of any subfield of psychology in general and consequently, in this field in particular. Also, the chapter offers a brief description of the methods that are used in research in psychology of technology with some of them being described more elaborately in later chapters.