How Internet Habits Influence Social Cognitive Research: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations in the Era of Social Media

Abstract

This study provides researchers, who are considering internet-based social cognitive research, with a general overview of the theoretical and methodological considerations that must be considered for implementing best practices. It covers theoretical discussions of the ways in which the internet has affected socialisation and cognitive processes (including memory and attention),the balance between ecological validity and experimental control for internet-based social cognitive research (including the effect of digital researcher presence), and group membership (including discussions of group composition, identity misrepresentation, and communication through memes). It also covers methodological discuss-ions and best practices to account for the effects of internet use on social cognition, exploring avenues for increasing experimental control without sacrificing ecological validity, and decisions pertaining to participant recruitment issues, when recruiting from internet-based community groups.