The Digital Mind
1. Edition August 2026
Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Understand how digital technology reshapes cognition, behavior, and psychological experience
Digital technologies now mediate nearly every aspect of human experience, from social connection to decision-making. The Digital Mind: Theory, Practice, and Cases examines how screens, algorithms, and virtual environments fundamentally alter psychological processes. Marshall S. Rich, PhD Forensic Cyberpsychology, provides a rigorous framework for understanding these changes, connecting established psychological theory with emerging research on technology's cognitive and behavioral effects.
The book integrates theoretical foundations with real-world applications, presenting case studies that illustrate how digital environments influence attention, memory, identity formation, and interpersonal relationships. Readers gain analytical tools for evaluating technology's psychological impact across clinical, educational, and organizational settings. The text addresses both individual-level effects and broader societal implications of our increasingly mediated existence.
Key topics include:
* How digital interfaces alter attention patterns, memory consolidation, and information processing in ways that differ from analog experiences
* The psychological mechanisms underlying social media use, online identity construction, and virtual relationship formation across developmental stages
* Clinical applications for assessing and treating technology-related psychological concerns including problematic use and digital stress responses
* Case-based analysis methods that connect theoretical frameworks to observable behavioral and cognitive outcomes in digital contexts
* Practical evaluation tools for researchers and practitioners examining technology's effects across diverse populations and settings
The Digital Mind: Theory, Practice, and Cases serves psychologists, counselors, researchers, and advanced students seeking to understand technology's psychological dimensions. The book provides essential frameworks for anyone working with clients, students, or research participants whose lives are shaped by digital environments.
With more than 30 years of experience, including 23 years of military service, Rich has led communications and cybersecurity initiatives in complex multinational environments, with deployments across Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and the Republic of Georgia. He has directed national-level cyber defense and incident-response programs, most recently leading a U.S. Department of State partnership with the Mongolian Armed Forces Cyber Command to strengthen national cyber resilience using the CIS Controls Framework.
Rich has served as Principal Strategic Advisor in Cybersecurity at the U.S. Institute of Peace, collaborating with U.S. and international security agencies to reduce organizational cyber risk. He is also Doctoral Dissertation Chair at Capitol Technology University and Associate Professor of Cybersecurity at the University of Arizona, mentoring the next generation of cyber leaders through research, teaching, and global engagement.