iACToR Weekly Newsletters #25

[James Cullen]

Opening Statement

Hello iACToR members,

This year’s exciting 16th Annual CyberPsychology and CyberTherapy Conference, the official conference of iACToR, in Gatineau, Canada is quickly approaching. Please access the latest publicity add for CT16 here: http://bit.ly/gilVLE.

Please also visit http://www.interactivemediainstitute.com/CT16 for more information on this year’s conference in Gatineau, Canada. We look forward to seeing you all there!

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Top CyberPsychology News

Video Games Could Help Stroke Patients Recover
Los Angeles Times - Video games that get players moving, at least in some small fashion, can not only have positive health effects -- they might even have a place in stroke rehabilitation centers, helping some patients regain upper body strength and coordination after suffering a stroke. That seems to be the consensus from an analysis by Canadian researchers of 12 studies involving 195 stroke patients who tried their hands at virtual-reality games as part of rehabilitation. And the games might even offer an edge. To read more, please visit http://lat.ms/fJN5zL.

A Videogame for Arachnophobes
The Wall Street Journal - Exposure to animated spiders in a videogame environment was just as effective in curing people of arachnophobia as the traditional therapy of handling real spiders, according to a study in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Arachnophobia, the irrational fear of spiders, is estimated in some studies to affect as many as half of women and girls, and up to 1 in 6 males. Virtual-reality therapy is a relatively new tool that has been used to treat phobias related to flying and heights. This study compared the effectiveness of VR therapy and traditional therapy on 32 Canadians with arachnophobia. Those in VR therapy wore a helmet that allowed them to see into a virtual world populated with spiders of varying shapes and sizes. To read more, please visit http://on.wsj.com/dXcWnE.

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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!

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Thank you all and I look forward to shaping our community with your help and valuable input!

Create your own reality!

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