iACToR Weekly Newsletter #33

[James Cullen]

Opening Statement

Hello iACToR members,

It is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce, as voted on by the Premium Members of iACToR, the new managing board members for the 2011 – 2012 association year:

Secretary General
Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA
Interactive Media Institute
Virtual Reality Medical Institute

President
Giuseppe Riva, Ph.D., M.S., M.A.
Istituto Auxologico Italiano

Vice President
Rosa Marie Baños, Ph.D.
Universitat de Valencia

Treasurer
Mark D. Wiederhold, M.D., Ph.D.
Virtual Reality Medical Center

Secretary
Stephane Bouchard, Ph.D.
Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)

Publications Director
Willem-Paul Brinkman, Ph.D.
Delft University of Technology

Special Interest Groups Director
Evelyne Klinger, Ph.D.
Arts et Métiers ParisTech Angers-Laval

Website Director
Andrea Gaggioli, Ph.D
Catholic University of Milan, Italy

Membership Director
Cristina Botella, Ph.D.
Universitat Jaume I

Communications Director
James Cullen
Interactive Media Institute

In other important iACToR news, CyberPsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, one of the two official journals of iACToR, saw a significant increase in impact factor for 2011. The authoritative monthly peer-reviewed journal which explores the impact of the Internet, multi-media, and virtual reality on behavior and society, now has an impact factor for 2011 of 1.803 and is ranked 7 out of 67 in the communication category of the JCR Social Sciences Edition! This is an increase from 1.591 in 2010.

Now with an expanded focus on social networking, the Journal examines the psychological and social issues surrounding the Internet and interactive technologies, including Twitter and Facebook. Please visit http://www.liebertpub.com/products/product.aspx?pid=10 for information on how you can subscribe and/or submit to the Journal.

---

Top CyberPsychology News

Cell Phones Can Improve Connection with Children
Psych Central - A new study suggests cell phone communication between a parent and their teenager can affect the quality of their relationship. Researchers believe the details of the conversation, the purpose and tone of the conversation and who initiated the call are important factors for improving the parent-child bond. The study is reported online in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. To read more, please visit http://bit.ly/iPKSkD.

Another Try by Google to Take On Facebook
New York Times The debut of Google+ will test whether Google can overcome its past stumbles in this area and deal with one of the most pressing challenges facing the company. At stake is Google’s status as the most popular entry point to the Web. When people post on Facebook, which is mostly off-limits to search engines, Google loses valuable information that could benefit its Web search, advertising and other products. But Google+ may already be too late. To read more, please visit http://nyti.ms/musOKr.

---

5 Ways to Get More Involved

1. Become a Premium Member of iACToR!
   • Get extensive discounts off the 16th Annual CyberPsychology and CyberTherapy Conference.
   • Get discounted subscriptions to your favorite CyberPsychology publications
   • Enjoy premium access ot the fast growing social networking psychology association on the internet
   • Take part in the annual iACToR General Assembly
   • Receive discounted membership to affiliated associations and societies.
2. Join your local iACToR Chapter! Please visit the Chapter page to request membership to the appropriate iACToR Chapter. This is an excellent way to become acquainted and introduced to colleagues in your area!
   
   
3. Begin the discussion! Please visit the Forum, find the appropriate category, and click Add a Discussion! As this field is rapidly growing, collaboration and discussion is vital to the growth and progress. Some have begun already, and we hope to see you post as well.
   
   
4. Invite your colleagues! On the right hand side, under your name, next to the friends hyperlink is an Invite hyperlink. We encourage you to invite your colleagues to join in the discussion.
   
   
5. Update Your Profile and Comment on Others! Keep members up to date with your latest information. Post a blog, update your status, add a picture of yourself, and let the community know your area of expertise. All can be done with in your Profile page and we encourage you to do so!

---

Create your own reality!

Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA
Secretary General
International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation (iACToR)