Showing papers in "Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking in 2002"
TL;DR: Internet use was found to decrease loneliness and depression significantly, while perceived social support and self-esteem increased significantly.
Abstract: As more people connect to the Internet, researchers are beginning to examine the effects of Internet use on users' psychological health. Due in part to a study released by Kraut and colleagues in 1998, which concluded that Internet use is positively correlated with depression, loneliness, and stress, public opinion about the Internet has been decidedly negative. In contrast, the present study was designed to test the hypothesis that Internet usage can affect users beneficially. Participants engaged in five chat sessions with an anonymous partner. At three different intervals they were administered scales measuring depression, loneliness, self-esteem, and social support. Changes in their scores were tracked over time. Internet use was found to decrease loneliness and depression significantly, while perceived social support and self-esteem increased significantly.
719 citations
TL;DR: The utility of the OCS for both clinical assessment of Internet addiction and as an organizational preemployment screening measure to identify potential employees who are likely to abuse the Internet in the workplace (also known as "cyberslacking") were discussed.
Abstract: The current study introduced a theory-driven, multidimensional measure of problematic Internet use: the Online Cognition Scale (OCS). Undergraduate students (n = 211) in an industrial/organizational psychology course completed the OCS, along with measures of procrastination, rejection sensitivity, loneliness, depression, and impulsivity. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that problematic Internet use consists of four dimensions: diminished impulse control, loneliness/depression, social comfort, and distraction. As hypothesized, the OCS predicted all of the study variables in the expected directions. Representing a departure from previous research in this area, the current article focused on procrastination, impulsivity, and social rejection as key elements of problematic Internet use. Furthermore, interactive applications (e.g., chat) were most related to problematic Internet use, and scores on the OCS predicted being reprimanded at school or work for inappropriate Internet use. As a result, the ut...
715 citations
TL;DR: It was found that introverted and neurotic people locate their "real me" on the Internet, while extroverts and nonneurotic people locating their " real me" through traditional social interaction.
Abstract: Social communication is one of the most common reasons for using the Internet. This paper examines how the personality characteristics of the user affect the meaning and importance of Internet social interaction in comparison with "real life," face-to-face interactions. Forty subjects all of whom were familiar with using "chat" participated in this study. After a "chat" session, they were instructed to answer several questionnaires. It was found that introverted and neurotic people locate their "real me" on the Internet, while extroverts and non-neurotic people locate their "real me" through traditional social interaction. The implications of our results for understanding the user-net interaction, the "real-me" location, extroversion, neuroticism, and Internet interaction, and the treatment of social phobics are examined.
515 citations
TL;DR: Results revealed significantly higher means on the goal subscale and composite score of the Working Alliance Inventory in the online sample, suggesting that a working alliance can be adequately established in therapy delivered online.
Abstract: Online therapy, defined as the provision of mental health services through the Internet, is a growing field that has sparked an abundance of interest and controversy. A primary concern in the practice of online therapy is whether a working alliance, considered a central component of successful therapy, can develop when participants are geographically separated. Working alliance scores were compared between a small, primarily female sample of online therapy consumers and a representative sample of traditional face-to-face therapy clients. Results revealed significantly higher means on the goal subscale and composite score of the Working Alliance Inventory in the online sample, suggesting that a working alliance can be adequately established in therapy delivered online. No significant differences in the level of working alliance were found within the online therapy sample with respect to modality of communication, client presenting problem, or therapist. Themes from comments suggest the importance for participants of the disinhibiting effects of the medium.
462 citations
TL;DR: Depression and PTSD symptoms as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory and the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale indicated a large reduced in depression, and large reduction in PTSD symptoms after completing VR exposure therapy.
Abstract: Done properly by experienced therapists, re-exposure to memories of traumatic events via imaginal exposure therapy can lead to a reduction of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Exposure helps the patient process and habituate to memories and strong emotions associated with the traumatic event: memories and emotions they have been carefully avoiding. But many patients are unwilling or unable to self-generate and re-experience painful emotional images. The present case study describes the treatment of a survivor of the World Trade Center (WTC) attack of 9-11-01 who had developed acute PTSD. After she failed to improve with traditional imaginal exposure therapy, we sought to increase emotional engagement and treatment success using virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy. Over the course of six 1-h VR exposure therapy sessions, we gradually and systematically exposed the PTSD patient to virtual planes flying over the World Trade Center, jets crashing into the World Trade Center with animated explo...
304 citations
TL;DR: Results on self-report and physiological measures appear to indicate that four virtual reality treatment sessions were effective in reducing public speaking anxiety in university students, corroborating earlier studies of VRT's effectiveness as a psychotherapeutic modality.
Abstract: The primary goal of this research program was to investigate the effectiveness of virtual reality therapy (VRT) in reducing public speaking anxiety of university students. The prevalence and impact of public speaking anxiety as a type of Social Phobia are discussed. Studies of VRT as an emerging treatment for psychological problems are reviewed. In the present study, eight students completed VRT individual treatment and post-testing, and six students in a Wait-List control group completed post-testing. Assessment measures included four selfreport inventories, self-report of Subjective Units of Discomfort during exposure to VRT and physiological measurements of heart rate during speaking tasks. Four weekly individual exposure treatment sessions of approximately 15 min each were conducted by the author serving as therapist. Results on self-report and physiological measures appear to indicate that four virtual reality treatment sessions were effective in reducing public speaking anxiety in university student...
276 citations
TL;DR: No gender differences were found in the effects of Internet use when both males and females engaged in the same activity and changes in repeated measures of loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and perceived social support were tracked.
Abstract: Many believe that males and females use and regard computer technology differently. Males are generally assumed to be more comfortable with, more adaptable to, and less anxious with computer technology. The same biases are now being applied specifically to Internet technology. Based on research showing that men prefer to use the Internet for information gathering and entertainment, while women prefer to use the Internet for interpersonal communication, this study examined the effects of Internet use when both males and females engaged in the same activity. Participants engaged in synchronous, dyadic chat sessions, and changes in repeated measures of loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and perceived social support were tracked over time. Although previous studies have concluded not only that males and females differ in their computer cognitions and attitudes, but also that they differ in the types of applications they pursue online, no gender differences were found in the present study.
217 citations
TL;DR: The results indicate that loneliness is not related to level of ICQ use, but inversely related to valence, accuracy, and the amount dimensions of self-disclosure in ICQ chat, and that ICQ usage is significantly related to control of depth and intent of disclosure.
Abstract: This study investigated the relationships between self-disclosure in ICQ ("I seek you") chat, level of loneliness, and ICQ usage. The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Revised Self-Disclosure Scale (RSDS) were administered to a multistaged stratified random sample of 576 college students. The results indicate that loneliness is not related to level of ICQ use, but inversely related to valence, accuracy, and the amount dimensions of self-disclosure in ICQ chat, and that ICQ usage is significantly related to control of depth and intent of disclosure. Specifically, it was found that the lonelier the student, the more dishonest, more negative, and the less revealing was the quality of the self-disclosure in their ICQ interaction. Conversely, appropriate, honest, positive, and accurate self-disclosure might lead to decreased loneliness when one feels understood, accepted, and cared about on ICQ. More important, as intimate relationships are based on high degrees of depth and intent of self-disclosure, heavy users of ICQ are usually open, personal, and consciously aware of what they are disclosing.
198 citations
TL;DR: The characteristics of the socio-cognitive processes-emotional expression, context definition, and identity creation-used by the interlocutors to make order and create relationships out of the miscommunication processes typical of CMC are described.
Abstract: The increased diffusion of the Internet has made computer-mediated communication (CMC) very popular. However, a difficult question arises for psychologists and communication researchers: "What are the communicative characteristics of CMC?" According to the "cuesfiltered-out" approach, CMC lacks the specifically relational features (social cues), which enable the interlocutors to identify correctly the kind of interpersonal situations they find themselves in. This paper counters this vision by integrating in its theoretical frame the different psycho-social approaches available in current literature. In particular, the paper describes the characteristics of the socio-cognitive processes—emotional expression, context definition, and identity creation—used by the interlocutors to make order and create relationships out of the miscommunication processes typical of CMC. Moreover, it presents the emerging forms of CMC—instant messaging, shared hypermedia, weblogs, and graphical chats—and their possible social a...
186 citations
TL;DR: There was a significant change in performance after three trials with the VR intervention and learning, identified as improved street-crossing behavior, transferred to real world behavior in the suburban school children but not in the urban school.
Abstract: Sixty percent to 70% of pedestrian injuries in children under the age of 10 years are the result of the child either improperly crossing intersections or dashing out in the street between intersections. The purpose of this injury prevention research study was to evaluate a desktop virtual reality (VR) program that was designed to educate and train children to safely cross intersections. Specifically, the objectives were to determine whether children can learn pedestrian safety skills while working in a virtual environment and whether pedestrian safety learning in VR transfers to real world behavior. Following focus groups with a number of key experts, a virtual city with eight interactive intersections was developed. Ninety-five children participated in a community trial from two schools (urban and suburban). Approximately half were assigned to a control group who received an unrelated VR program, and half received the pedestrian safety VR intervention. Children were identified by group and grade by color...
171 citations
TL;DR: Interpersonal relationships in cyberspace using the chat channel as an interaction medium suggests that relationships developed online are healthy and a complement to face-to-face relationships.
Abstract: The internet has opened a new social space for communication. The present work studies interpersonal relationships in cyberspace using the chat channel as an interaction medium. Data obtained have outlined the sociodemographic and personality profile of internet users who engage in online chats as well as group self-perception, chatters' use habits, motivations to interact online, and the chatters' network of virtual and face-to-face relationships. Results suggests that relationships developed online are healthy and a complement to face-to-face relationships. These data are confirmed by personality studies. The theoretical and methodological implications of data are discussed.
TL;DR: The experiences of ISMHO's Clinical Case Study Group members with regard to online clinical work across several Internet-based modalities as well as integrated online/offline approaches to mental health treatment and consultation are highlighted.
Abstract: An international, multi-disciplinary group of online mental health professionals, under the auspices of the International Society for Mental Health Online, presents this 3rd-year report. This article highlights the experiences of ISMHO's Clinical Case Study Group members with regard to online clinical work across several Internet-based modalities as well as integrated online/offline approaches to mental health treatment and consultation. A number of online approaches and paradigms are presented, often combining several aspects of synchronous and asynchronous online mental health practice. The discussion is organized around case presentation material shared among colleagues as part of a unique model combining peer supervision with systematic efforts to further develop a body of shared experience and observation relevant to online clinical practice. Readers are invited to virtually "listen in" to the collective voice of the group as it reconsiders whether 10 common conceptions of Internet-based practice are...
TL;DR: Accessing pornography, online chatting, gaming, Investing, investing, or shopping at work were the leading causes for disciplinary action or termination for employees at companies surveyed.
Abstract: Most U.S. businesses provide Internet access for their employees. The current study surveyed representatives from 224 organizations on issues related to Internet abuse. Nearly 70% of companies surveyed had more than half of their employees online. Almost all companies had Internet access policies (IAP) in place (82.6%), outlining appropriate and inappropriate use of the Internet in the workplace. Despite IAPs, U.S. businesses are facing a severe problem. More than 60% of companies had disciplined-and more than 30% had terminated--employees for inappropriate use of the Internet. Accessing pornography, online chatting, gaming, investing, or shopping at work were the leading causes for disciplinary action or termination. Many companies were not concerned about the severity of the problem (49.6%) and/or had done very little to enforce their IAPs (59.4% use self or managerial oversight, and only 37.5% use filtering software).
TL;DR: Although shyness or anxiety does not seem to modify the communicative functions of the Internet, it may influence people's use of other recreational applications and may influence the extent to which people avail themselves of Internet services.
Abstract: The Internet has the potential to empower or isolate. Shyness and anxiety may potentially influence the extent to which people avail themselves of Internet services such as email, chat rooms, information searches, entertainment, and commerce. To understand how personality moderates Internet usage, 177 participants completed an Internet Use Survey, the Social Reticence Scale, and a Trait Anxiety Inventory. Shyness, anxiety, gender, and academic achievement were employed within separate multiple regressions to predict forms of Internet usage. The use of email and chat-rooms was not related to shyness or anxiety, suggesting that shyness or anxiety does not pose an obstacle to these Internet applications. Males were more likely to use the Internet for downloading entertainment. Shy males were more likely to use the Internet for recreation/leisure searches. Highly educated males were more likely to use the Internet for banking and paying bills. Although shyness or anxiety does not seem to modify the communicat...
TL;DR: There is little convincing evidence coming from controlled studies of the clinical and economical advantages of this approach, so some guidelines for future research in this area are outlined.
Abstract: As information technology has advanced and costs have declined over the past decade, there has been a steady growth in the use of virtual reality (VR) in health care. According to the data of the two leading clinical databases—MEDLINE and PSYCINFO—the research in the virtual reality field is moving fast: under the "virtual reality" keyword, there are 739 papers listed in MEDLINE and 569 in PSYCINFO (accessed 6 December 2001). Much of this growth, however, has been in the form of feasibility studies and pilot trials. In fact, many researchers tried to use VR, but only a few were able to deepen their study. According to MEDLINE, only 16 research groups published more than three papers related to health care applications of VR. This number lowers to 12 for papers included in PSYCLIT. Therefore, apart from surgical training and some behavioral treatments, there is little convincing evidence coming from controlled studies of the clinical and economical advantages of this approach. This paper discusses recent e...
TL;DR: This research examined college students' Internet use, relationship formation, and personality characteristics and found differences were present within the group that formed online relationships, such as ease at finding similar others online as well as differences in social skills and loneliness scores.
Abstract: The Internet has become a standard fixture in the lives of many people, with communication being one of its most popular uses. Several mediums—such as electronic mail (e-mail), group mailing forums, interactive games, and real-time chatting—provide users with communication opportunities. Through extended communication on the Internet, many users have formed relationships with others online. Several aspects of the Internet medium interact to make the course of relationship development online differ from offline development. The Internet is still a rather uncharted area in terms of psychological research, especially in the field of online relationship development. This research examined college students' Internet use, relationship formation, and personality characteristics. No differences were found between participants who did and did not form new relationships online. However, differences were present within the group that formed online relationships, such as ease at finding similar others online as well ...
TL;DR: It is found that immersive VR with cognitive training is effective for attention enhancement and can improve the attention span of children and adolescents with behavioral problems and help them learn to focus on some tasks.
Abstract: Our main goal in this research was to validate the possibility of virtual reality (VR) for attention enhancement in cognitive training program. Then, we developed some cognitive training tasks using VR technology. Thirty subjects who had little behavioral problems and social problems were randomly assigned into three groups: VR group, non-VR group, and control group. Only the VR group used the head-mounted display (HMD) and position sensor. While the VR group and non-VR group performed cognitive training, the control group received no special treatment. All participants took their eight session tasks over 2 weeks. Participants executed a continuous performance task (CPT) before and after training sessions. We found that immersive VR with cognitive training is effective for attention enhancement. Also, we confirmed that our cognitive training can improve the attention span of children and adolescents with behavioral problems and help them learn to focus on some tasks.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated nonphobics' and phobics" physiological response in virtual environments, and analyzed the trend of phobic's physiology during virtual reality (VR) treatment.
Abstract: The goals of this study were twofold: (1) to investigate nonphobics' and phobics' physiological response in virtual environments, and (2) to analyze the trend of phobics' physiology during virtual reality (VR) treatment. As a measure of physiology, heart rate, skin resistance, and skin temperature were acquired. The data for two groups of participants were analyzed: 22 nonphobic participants (mean = 32 ± 9.4 years) and 36 subjects with fear of flying (mean = 40 ± 12.1 years) who met the DSM-IV criteria for fear of flying. As a result, skin resistance showed significant differences between nonphobics and phobics, T(56) = 2.978 and p < 0.01, respectively. The physiological response of 33 phobic participants, who were able to fly without medicine after VR treatment, showed a gradual trend toward the nonphobics' physiological responses as therapy sessions progressed. In this study, physiological monitoring, in particular skin resistance, appeared to be useful both in understanding the physiological state of p...
TL;DR: Examination of young adults' attitudes and practices about using the Internet to facilitate the formation of intimate relationships indicates that viewing the sites did mediate opinions.
Abstract: We conducted two studies to examine young adults' attitudes and practices about using the Internet to facilitate the formation of intimate relationships. In the first study, we surveyed 235 undergraduates and 76 Ph.D. students about their attitudes toward and use of the Internet in forming relationships. In the second study, a sample of 40 undergraduates explored real exemplars of matchmaking sites and then answered surveys about their impressions of the sites, while a control group of 51 undergraduates answered the same questions without exploring actual sites. In study one, more graduate students than undergraduates reported meeting someone in person whom they had first met on the Internet, p < 0.05, and had both thought about and taken steps to meet a friend or mate on the Internet, p < 0.01. Graduate students also expressed more positive views of using the Internet to form relationships, p < 0.001. In study two, the exposure group rated the sites less negatively than the control group, p < 0.001, indicating that viewing the sites did mediate opinions. Both groups expressed significant concerns about people lying on matchmaking sites and trying to meet people without using visual cues. Results are discussed in the context of mediation by life stage needs.
TL;DR: It appears that Internet addiction may involve an addictive performance profile which in turn leads to excessive behaviors that involve (1) use of the Internet for sexual purposes and (2) its functional usefulness for a variety of professional and personal goals.
Abstract: The ever-changing nature of the Internet continues to fuel questions as to its benefits and possible drawbacks. One issue that is particularly problematic is the validity of claims that the Internet is addictive. The present study used a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on a data set of 527 participants using the same survey developed by Pratarelli et al. We propose a theoretical model of the relationship between (1) Internet addiction, (2) a sexual factor, and (3) an Internet use factor. These three factors were tested using two structural equation models generated on LISREL. The CFA revealed that the three factors are not orthogonal to each other, but instead are related to some degree as one would expect if a supposed Internet addicted individual exhibited behaviors related to each factor. We next tested whether the addiction was the causal factor leaving the sex and User factors as endogenous (i.e., resulting from the addiction). The second structural equation tested the contrasting possibility that...
TL;DR: Results suggest an impairment in face processing on the part of the individuals in the experimental group, consistent with the hypothesis of disruption in the first months of life, a period that may be critical to typical social and cognitive development, and has important implications for selection of appropriate targets of intervention.
Abstract: An eye-tracking study of face and object recognition was conducted to clarify the character of face gaze in autistic spectrum disorders. Experimental participants were a group of individuals diagnosed with Asperger's disorder or high-functioning autistic disorder according to their medical records and confirmed by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Controls were selected on the basis of age, gender, and educational level to be comparable to the experimental group. In order to maintain attentional focus, stereoscopic images were presented in a virtual reality (VR) headset in which the eye-tracking system was installed. Preliminary analyses show impairment in face recognition, in contrast with equivalent and even superior performance in object recognition among participants with autism-related diagnoses, relative to controls. Experimental participants displayed less fixation on the central face than did control-group participants. The findings, within the limitations of the small number of subjects and technical difficulties encountered in utilizing the helmet-mounted display, suggest an impairment in face processing on the part of the individuals in the experimental group. This is consistent with the hypothesis of disruption in the first months of life, a period that may be critical to typical social and cognitive development, and has important implications for selection of appropriate targets of intervention.
TL;DR: This study exposed nonphobic participants to virtual panic and agoraphobia worlds with a program entitled "Virtual Medicine," and measured physiology by noninvasive sensors to explore differences between immersion, physiological responses, and self-report responses in nonphobics versus phobics.
Abstract: Virtual reality (VR) offers a great new perspective on what it can offer an individual. These new approaches can give an individual the immersion and cognitive guidance that they need to help overcome his or her disorder. VR differs from the traditional displays in computer graphics as these various displays are integrated to give the user a sense of presence or immersion in the virtual world. To more effectively treat panic and agoraphobic patients using VR, it is necessary to determine the physiological responses of nonphobics when placed in the virtual panic and agoraphobia environments. This study exposed nonphobic participants to virtual panic and agoraphobia worlds with a program entitled "Virtual Medicine." Individuals without a diagnosis of panic and agoraphobia, as confirmed by intake and self-report questionnaires, were exposed to four different VR environments (elevator, supermarket, town square, and beach). During these VR experiences, physiology was measured by noninvasive sensors (peripheral...
TL;DR: The data suggest that skin resistance and heart rate can be used as objective measures in monitoring the reaction of nonphobic participants to virtual environments and that heart rate variability could be useful for assessing the emotional states of participants.
Abstract: As virtual reality technology continues to attract significant attention in clinical psychology, especially in the treatment of phobias, physiological monitoring is increasingly considered as an ob...
TL;DR: Four factors emerged which seemed to differentiate among the two types of relationships begun online: meeting place, where they first encountered each other online, obstacles, barriers to getting together overcome by the couples, such as distance and previous relationships, and ability of the people to resolve problems in communication.
Abstract: From a larger study of 68 couples who met online, eight couples were chosen as cases representing the sample to illustrate two kinds of outcomes: "successful," continuing couples, or "unsuccessful," relationships that ended. All respondent accounts from questionnaire data, interviews, and e-mail correspondence between partners were closely examined. Four factors emerged which seemed to differentiate among the two types of relationships begun online: (1) meeting place, where they first encountered each other online; (2) obstacles, barriers to getting together overcome by the couples, such as distance and previous relationships; (3) timing, period spent writing or talking before meeting offline, and how intimate they became before meeting offline; and (4) conflict resolution, ability of the people to resolve problems in communication. People who first met in places based upon common interests, who communicated for long periods of time before meeting offline without too much intimacy, who worked through barriers to becoming closer, and who negotiated conflict well tended to stay together. Future research and analysis can further determine how the process of forming and maintaining successful relationships begun online compares to those started offline.
TL;DR: This study describes how a haptic device was used as a cinematic assessment utility for chronic stroke inpatients at Sahlgrenska University Hospital with left hemisphere damage.
Abstract: Virtual reality (VR) technology is altering the health care environment and is changing the options that are available to therapists. This study describes how a haptic device was used as a cinematic assessment utility. Three chronic stroke inpatients at Sahlgrenska University Hospital with left hemisphere damage were assessed. The patients were administered by the box and block manual dexterity test. For comparisons, a reference group was added to the study. Several parameters, including time, speed, and movement of the right upper extremity, were extracted and evaluated. The results indicate that the system shows potential as an assessment device. The feasibility study setup is working well, as is the assessment method. Further research, testing, refinement of the exercises, and use of VR and haptics within neurological rehabilitation are suggested.
TL;DR: Misogynist comments were seen as more harassing online than in traditional settings, as well as using nicknames and comments about dress, while women rated online pictures and jokes as significantly more harassing than men.
Abstract: Differences in the perception of sexual harassment depending on discourse medium (traditional classroom setting versus online) and gender were examined via survey with 270 undergraduate participants. It was hypothesized that (1) participants would differ in their evaluations of similar behaviors when they were described as occurring in a traditional classroom setting as opposed to an online environment, and (2) males and females would differ in their evaluations of online behaviors. Eight potentially harassing acts were examined—including sexually explicit pictures, content, jokes, misogyny, the use of nicknames, requests for company, sexual favors, and comments about dress. Misogynist comments were seen as more harassing online than in traditional settings, as well as using nicknames and comments about dress. In a traditional setting, only requests for company were seen as more harassing. In terms of gender differences, women rated online pictures and jokes as significantly more harassing than men.
TL;DR: How a projected virtual reality system that uses video gesture recognition technology can influence the person-environment process and the psychosocial concepts of embodiment, environmental centralization, and environmental personalization are discussed.
Abstract: This paper discusses how a projected virtual reality system that uses video gesture recognition technology can influence the person–environment process. The psychosocial concepts of embodiment, environmental centralization, and environmental personalization are illustrated with examples of virtual reality applications with children with disabilities. Through these, the advantages of using virtual reality to influence the person–environment relationship are discussed. Disadvantages of implementing this virtual reality approach are also presented as well as recommendations for future work in this area.
TL;DR: Dynamics of the subjective point of view, subjective affective state, and feeling of presence, as measured following the interaction with a virtual naked model, appear as promising ways to probe sexual preferences as expressed in immersion.
Abstract: Virtual reality (VR), as a method to assess sexual preferences, is explored. Dynamics of the subjective point of view (POV), subjective affective state, and feeling of presence, as measured following the interaction with a virtual naked model, appear as promising ways to probe sexual preferences as expressed in immersion. Theoretical aspects of VR psychology and further steps in developing a sexual preferences assessment method are delineated.
TL;DR: Several rigorous methods for sampling difficult-to-reach and empirically underrepresented populations via the Internet are presented and found to be significantly more robust and equally representative of the U.S. general population.
Abstract: We present several rigorous methods for sampling difficult-to-reach and empirically underrepresented populations via the Internet. The methodology's representativeness was tested by comparing the demographics of a small sample of 82 lesbian and bisexual females with a much larger Gallup Organization sample of the general population (n > 1,000) obtained via random digit dialing. Compared to the latter poll, the rigorous sampling designs developed for the Internet were found to be significantly more robust and equally representative of the U.S. general population. The Gallup Organization reached a sample more representative of the age distribution of the United States. The Internet sample reached a sample more representative of the population, with less education, lower incomes, and a broad spectrum of ethnic diversity. The samples were equally effective in representing the distribution of the population with rural and urban residence.
TL;DR: This paper empirically examines emergent business practices that attempt to reduce and control employee Internet misuse and abuse and will assist organizations in implementing effective corporate initiatives to improve employee Internet management practices.
Abstract: This paper empirically examines emergent business practices that attempt to reduce and control employee Internet misuse and abuse Over a 6-month period, 52 web-administered surveys were collected Respondents ranged from human resource managers to company presidents Data were stored in a database management system and analyzed utilizing statistical measures Monitoring efforts and policy development issues are examined against critical incidents of employee Internet abuse The analysis also includes a rank ordering of the types of Internet applications that were perceived as most problematic or abused Types of applications abused include electronic mail, adult web sites, online gaming, chat rooms, stock trading, and so on Moreover, company size and years online are examined Overall, this research will assist organizations in implementing effective corporate initiatives to improve employee Internet management practices