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ShareJuly 31, 2013 — Our possessions have an extensive and surprising impact on our identities and lives, but they may become less important to us as more and more of our lives takes place online.
That is the conclusion of an article, 'The psychology of stuff and things," published in the August issue of The Psychologist by Dr Christian Jarrett.
He writes: "Our relationship with our stuff is in the midst of great change. Dusty music and literary collections are being rehoused in the digital cloud. Where once we expressed our identity through fashion preferences and props, today we can cultivate an online identity with a carefully constructed homepage. We no longer have to purchase an item to associate ourselves with it, we can simply tell the world … about our preferences. The self has become extended, almost literally, into technology."
Dr Jarrett writes the British Psychological Society's award winning Research Digest blog: http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.co.uk/
Other articles in the August issue of The Psychologist look at the importance of social support after a stroke and the experience of hearing voices, while the magazine's editor Dr Jon Sutton interviews the occupational psychologist Dr Emma Donaldson-Feilder.
The Psychologist is the monthly magazine of the British Psychological Society.
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The above story is based on materials provided by British Psychological Society (BPS), via AlphaGalileo.
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Journal Reference:
- Christian Jarrett. The psychology of stuff and things. The Psychologist, 2013; 26 (8): 560-565 [link]
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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