Definition

• Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings. As a social science psychology aims to describe, explain, predict and change human thinking, feeling, and acting. The scientific discipline of psychology is subdivided into a set of basic subfields (e.g., Biopsychology, General Psychology, Social Psychology etc.) and occupationaly or topicaly applied subfields (e.g., Sports Psychology, Traffic Psycholoy, Clinical Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology). Each psychological subfield possesses its own research objects plus specific theories and methods.
  
  
• Media Psychology is one of the applied subfields of psychology. Media Psychology addresses human behavior and mental processes related to media: Which thoughts and feelings, which physical reactions and actions emerge in different individuals in different situations and cultures before, during, and after the usage of media? What psychological qualities has different media content? "old" media (like press, radio, television, music) are considered as well as "new" media (like computer, internet, mobile phone). Each media innovation raises new psychological questions that often are discussed in public and in the mass media (e.g., "online love", "cell phone addiction" etc.). Knowledge of media psychology is relevant in practice, amongst others in Media Design, thus in the systematic process of creating media services that have certain desired psychological effects (e.g., developing online dating platforms or mobile learning applications).
  
  
• The Psychology of Technology (or: Engineering Psychology) is another applied subfield of psychology. It addresses human behavior and mental processes related to technologies. The focus is on thoughts, feelings, physical reactions, and actions of human beings operating technical systems, for example in the transport or vocational sector or in everyday life (Human-Machine Systems). The psychological - especially cognitive psychological - analysis of human machine interaction is necessary to design and implement technologies - from ticket machines to robots - in such a way that humans can operate them effectively (Cognitive Ergonomics). Experimental research methods and evaluation methods play an important role in the field. Depending on the respective research focus, new media technologies can be categorized both as new media and as new technologies. Therefore their psychological impact can be investigated in the field of media psychology or engineering psychology.

Teaching in the Field of Media Psychology and Psychology of Technology

• Lecture Media Psychology (Bachelor)
• Lecture Psychology of Technology (Master)

Main Interests in the Field of Media Psychology and Psychology of Technology

• Psychology of Online Communication
• Psychology of Mobile Communication
• Psychology of Human-Robot Communication
• Psychology of Virtual Reality

Selected Publications in the Field of Media Psychology and Psychology of Technology

• Döring, N. & Pöschl, S. (2009). Nonverbal Cues in Mobile Phone Text Messages: The Effects of Chronemics and Proxemics. In R. Ling & S. Campbell (Eds.), The Mobile Communication Research Annual: Volume I, The Reconstruction of Space & Time through Mobile Communication Practices. Edison, NJ: Transaction.
• Döring, N. (2008). Mobilkommunikation: Psychologische Nutzungs- und Wirkungsdimensionen. [Mobile Communication: Psychological Dimensions of Usage and Impact] In B. Batinic & M. Appel (Hrsg.), Medienpsychologie (S. 219-240). Heidelberg: Springer.
• Döring, N. (2008). Reduced Social Cues / Cues Filtered Out Approach. In N. Krämer, S. Schwan, D. Unz & M. Suckfüll (Hrsg.), Schlüsselbegriffe der Medienpsychologie (S.290-297). Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
• Döring, N. (2008). Social Identity and Deinviduation (SIDE) Theory. In N. Krämer, S. Schwan, D. Unz & M. Suckfüll (Hrsg.), Schlüsselbegriffe der Medienpsychologie (S. 298-305). Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
• Pöschl, S. & Döring, N. (2008). Personality and the Mobile Phone. Character-Based Differences of Usage and Attitudes towards Mobile Communication. In K. Nyiri (Ed.) Integration and Ubiquity. Towards a Philosophy of Telecommunications Convergence (pp. 161-168). Vienna: Passagen Verlag.
• Arlt, D., Pöschl, S. & Döring, N. (2008). Getting No Answer? An Experimental Study on Unavailability in SMS Communication. In K. Nyiri (Ed.) Integration and Ubiquity. Towards a Philosophy of Telecommunications Convergence (pp. 169-177). Vienna: Passagen Verlag.
• Döring, N. (in Druck). Vergleich zwischen direkter und medialer Individualkommunikation. [Comparison between direct and mediated interpersonal communication] In U. Six, U. Gleich & R. Gimmler (Hrsg.), Lehrbuch Kommunikationspsychologie. Beltz-PVU.
• Döring, N. & Eichenberg, C. (2005). "M-Therapie": Klinisch-psychologische Interventionen mit Mobilmedien. ["M-Therapy": Clinical-psychological interventions with mobile media] Psychotherapie und Sozialwissenschaft, 7 (2), 67-94.
• Döring, N. & Gundolf, A. (2005). Your Life in Snapshots. Mobile Weblogs (Moblogs). In P. Glotz, S. Bertschi & C. Locke (Eds.), Thumb Culture. The Meaning of Mobile Phones for Society (pp. 211-224). Bielefeld: Transcript.
• Döring, N. (2004). Sozio-emotionale Dimensionen des Internet (Kap. 34). [Socio-emotional dimensions of the internet] In R. Mangold, P. Vorderer & G. Bente (Hrsg.), Lehrbuch der Medienpsychologie (S. 769-792). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
• Döring, N. (2004). Wie verändern sich soziale Beziehungen durch Mobilkommunikation? Eine Analyse von Paar-, Familien- und Freundschaftsbeziehungen. [How does mobile communication change interpersonal relationships? An analysis of couples, families, and friendships] In U. Thiedeke (Hrsg.), Soziologie des Cyberspace. Medien, Strukturen und Semantiken (S. 240-280). Wiesbaden: VS.
• Döring, N. (2003). Politiker-Homepages zwischen Politik-PR und Bürger-Partizipation. [Politicians' websites between politics PR and citizen participation] Publizistik, Vierteljahreshefte für Kommunikationsforschung, 48 (1), 25-46.
• Döring, N. (2003). Sozialpsychologie des Internet. Die Bedeutung des Internet för Kommunikationsprozesse, Identitäten, soziale Beziehungen und Gruppen (2., vollständig überarbeitete und erweiterte Aufl.). [Social psychology of the internet. The impact of the internet on interpersonal communication, identities, social relationships, and groups] Göttingen: Hogrefe
• Döring, N. (2002). Klingeltöne und Logos auf dem Handy: Wie neue Medien der Uni-Kommunikation genutzt werden. [Ringtones and logos on mobile phones: How new media of uni-communication are used] Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft 50 (3), 325-349.
• Döring, N. (2002). Personal Home Pages on the Web: A Review of Research. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 7 (3). http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol7/issue3/doering.html
• Döring, N. (2002)."1x Brot, Wurst, 5 Sack Äpfel I.L.D." - Kommunikative Funktionen von Kurzmitteilungen (SMS). ["1x bread, sausage, 5 bags of apples I.L.Y." - Communicative functions of mobile phone short messages (SMS)] Zeitschrift für Medienpsychologie 14 (3), 118-128.