The game transfer phenomena scale: an instrument for investigating the nonvolitional effects of video game playing

A variety of instruments have been developed to assess different dimensions of playing videogames and its effects on cognitions, affect, and behaviors. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Game Transfer Phenomena Scale (GTPS) that assesses non-volitional phenomena experienced after playing videogames (i.e., altered perceptions, automatic mental processes, and involuntary behaviors). A total of 1,736 gamers participated in an online survey used as the basis for the analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to confirm the factorial structure of the GTPS. The five-factor structure using the 20 indicators based on the analysis of gamers’ self-reports fitted the data well. Population cross-validity was also achieved and the positive associations between the session length and overall scores indicate the GTPS warranted criterion-related validity. Although the understanding of GTP is still in its infancy, the GTPS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing non-volitional gaming-related phenomena. The GTPS can be used for understanding the phenomenology of post-effects of playing videogames

Gamification techniques for raising cyber security awareness

Due to the prevalence of online services in modern society, such as internet banking and social media, it is important for users to have an understanding of basic security measures in order to keep themselves safe online. However, users often do not know how to make their online interactions secure, which demonstrates an educational need in this area. Gamification has grown in popularity in recent years and has been used to teach people about a range of subjects. This paper presents an exploratory study investigating the use of gamification techniques to educate average users about password security, with the aim of raising overall security awareness. To explore the impact of such techniques, a role-playing quiz application (RPG) was developed for the Android platform to educate users about password security. Results gained from the work highlightedthat users enjoyed learning via the use of the password application, and felt they benefitted from the inclusion of gamification techniques. Future work seeks to expand the prototype into a full solution, covering a range of security awareness issues

Os impactos psicológicos adversos da tecnologia digital: criticando esta bela vida de Schulman a partir de insights pós-modernos

This study aims to examine the psychological effects of digital technology on individuals by analyzing the characters of Jake and Daisy in This Beautiful Life. It also focuses on how the postmodern trend of imbibing the ethos and spirit of late capitalist consumer culture and the commodification of subjectivity put extreme pressure on individuals, leading to their disintegration and degeneration. The study uses the theoretical ideas and insights of leading postmodern theorists, such as Arthur Kroke and David Kroke, to analyze the harmful effects of the postmodern trend of simulating double identity in excess. It explores the causes of the psychic deviations and disintegration of Jake and Daisy within the postmodern context. This research is a qualitative analysis of the novel by using a postmodern theoretical framework to analyze the characters of Jake and Daisy and their actions and choices in the novel. The study finds that the harsh psychological effects of digital technology are evident in the characters of Jake and Daisy. Their unrestrained involvement in the postmodern trend of imbibing the ethos and spirit of late capitalist consumer culture leads to the degeneration and decadence of their psychic integrity. Meanwhile, Daisy's mundane and monotonous life leads her to construct fantasies in her mind, leading her to embark on a sporadic spree of murdering her close friends. The study concludes that the postmodern trend of imbibing the ethos and spirit of late capitalist consumer culture and the commodification of subjectivity have a detrimental effect on individuals' psychological well-being. The lack of postmodern trend to erase the boundary between the normal and the abnormal exacerbates the situation, leading individuals to become cruel and violent.Este estudio tiene como objetivo examinar los efectos psicológicos de la tecnología digital en los individuos, analizando los personajes de Jake y Daisy en This Beautiful Life. También se enfoca en cómo la tendencia posmoderna de absorber el ethos y el espíritu de la cultura de consumo del capitalismo tardío y la mercantilización de la subjetividad ejercen una presión extrema sobre los individuos, lo que lleva a su desintegración y degeneración. El estudio utiliza las ideas teóricas y los conocimientos de los principales teóricos posmodernos, como Arthur Kroke y David Kroke, para analizar los efectos nocivos de la tendencia posmoderna de sobresimular las identidades duales. Explora las causas de las desviaciones psíquicas y la desintegración de Jake y Daisy en el contexto posmoderno. Esta investigación es un análisis cualitativo de la novela utilizando un marco teórico posmoderno para analizar los personajes de Jake y Daisy y sus acciones y elecciones en la novela. El estudio concluye que los graves efectos psicológicos de la tecnología digital son evidentes en los personajes de Jake y Daisy. Su participación desenfrenada en la tendencia posmoderna de absorber el ethos y el espíritu de la cultura de consumo del capitalismo tardío conduce a la degeneración y decadencia de su integridad psíquica. Mientras tanto, la vida mundana y monótona de Daisy la lleva a construir fantasías en su mente, lo que la lleva a embarcarse en una ola esporádica de asesinar a sus amigos cercanos. El estudio concluye que la tendencia posmoderna de absorber el ethos y el espíritu de la cultura de consumo del capitalismo tardío y la mercantilización de la subjetividad tiene un efecto perjudicial sobre el bienestar psicológico de los individuos. La falta de la tendencia posmoderna de borrar el límite entre lo normal y lo anormal exacerba la situación, llevando a los individuos a volverse crueles y violentos.Este estudo tem como objetivo examinar os efeitos psicológicos da tecnologia digital sobre os indivíduos, analisando os personagens de Jake e Daisy em This Beautiful Life. Ele também enfoca como a tendência pós-moderna de absorver o ethos e o espírito da cultura de consumo do capitalismo tardio e a mercantilização da subjetividade exercem extrema pressão sobre os indivíduos, levando à sua desintegração e degeneração. O estudo usa as ideias teóricas e percepções dos principais teóricos pós-modernos, como Arthur Kroke e David Kroke, para analisar os efeitos nocivos da tendência pós-moderna de simular identidade dupla em excesso. Explora as causas dos desvios psíquicos e da desintegração de Jake e Daisy no contexto pós-moderno. Esta pesquisa é uma análise qualitativa do romance usando um referencial teórico pós-moderno para analisar os personagens de Jake e Daisy e suas ações e escolhas no romance. O estudo conclui que os severos efeitos psicológicos da tecnologia digital são evidentes nos personagens de Jake e Daisy. Seu envolvimento desenfreado na tendência pós-moderna de absorver o ethos e o espírito da cultura consumista do capitalismo tardio leva à degeneração e decadência de sua integridade psíquica. Enquanto isso, a vida mundana e monótona de Daisy a leva a construir fantasias em sua mente, levando-a a embarcar em uma onda esporádica de assassinato de seus amigos íntimos. O estudo conclui que a tendência pós-moderna de absorver o ethos e o espírito da cultura de consumo do capitalismo tardio e a mercantilização da subjetividade têm um efeito prejudicial no bem-estar psicológico dos indivíduos. A falta da tendência pós-moderna de apagar a fronteira entre o normal e o anormal agrava a situação, levando os indivíduos a se tornarem cruéis e violentos

Visualizing Social Networks to Inform Tactical Engagement Strategies that will Influence the Human Domain

The Special Operations Command, Marine Corps, and Army recently formed the Strategic Landpower Task Force to study the confluence of the land, cyber, and human domains. To support the Task Force’s research, this paper demonstrates the utility of visualizing social networks in order to inform a unit’s population tactical engagement strategy. We illustrate how collecting, structuring and visualizing socio-cultural data can assist units to rapidly communicate human dynamics, visualize community and group affiliations, prepare for key leader engagements, highlight potential powerbrokers, and identify information gaps about the human terrain. We provide real world examples from a recent deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. These examples reveal how social network and link analysis can assist units to understand and influence the human domain at the tactical level

From Social Simulation to Integrative System Design

As the recent financial crisis showed, today there is a strong need to gain "ecological perspective" of all relevant interactions in socio-economic-techno-environmental systems. For this, we suggested to set-up a network of Centers for integrative systems design, which shall be able to run all potentially relevant scenarios, identify causality chains, explore feedback and cascading effects for a number of model variants, and determine the reliability of their implications (given the validity of the underlying models). They will be able to detect possible negative side effect of policy decisions, before they occur. The Centers belonging to this network of Integrative Systems Design Centers would be focused on a particular field, but they would be part of an attempt to eventually cover all relevant areas of society and economy and integrate them within a "Living Earth Simulator". The results of all research activities of such Centers would be turned into informative input for political Decision Arenas. For example, Crisis Observatories (for financial instabilities, shortages of resources, environmental change, conflict, spreading of diseases, etc.) would be connected with such Decision Arenas for the purpose of visualization, in order to make complex interdependencies understandable to scientists, decision-makers, and the general public.Comment: 34 pages, Visioneer White Paper, see http://www.visioneer.ethz.c

Graph Based Framework for Malicious Insider Threat Detection

While most security projects have focused on fending off attacks coming from outside the organizational boundaries, a real threat has arisen from the people who are inside those perimeter protections. \ Insider threats have shown their power by hugely affecting national security, financial stability, and the privacy of many thousands of people. What is in the news is the tip of the iceberg, with much more going on under the radar, and some threats never being detected. We propose a hybrid framework based on graphical analysis and anomaly detection approaches, to combat this severe cyber security threat. Our framework analyzes heterogeneous data in isolating possible malicious users hiding behind others. Empirical results reveal this framework to be effective in distinguishing the majority of users who demonstrate typical behavior from the minority of users who show suspicious behavior.