15th Annual CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy Conference

Seoul, Korea
June 13 – 15, 2010

Attendees at CT15 listened to welcoming remarks during a dinner at the President Hotel in downtown Seoul, Korea.

The 15th Annual CyberPsychology and CyberTherapy Conference (CT15), the official conference of the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training & Rehabilitation (iACToR) was co-organized by Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA of the Interactive Media Institute and Sun I. Kim, Ph.D. of Hanyang University. CT15 was hosted at the President Hotel in downtown Seoul, Korea, and attracted researchers, experts, and students from 23 countries around the world. CT15 was truly an international success setting directions for advancements in the growing disciplines of cyberpsychology, cybertherapy, training, and rehabilitation.

The quality and significance of the work presented at CT15 reaffirms that virtual reality is already playing a significant role in healthcare. CT15 further strengthened and advanced efforts to improve health care through technology, and explored ways to take advantage of remarkable transformations that are occurring.

CT15’s theme was two fold: First, CT15 explored technologies as enabling tools. This included the use of advanced technologies such as virtual reality simulations, videogames, telehealth, videoconferencing, the Internet, robotics, brain computer interfaces, wearable computing, non-invasive physiological monitoring devices, in diagnosis, assessment, and prevention of mental and physical disorders. In addition, interactive media in training, education, rehabilitation, and therapeutic interventions were discussed. Second, CT15 explored the impact of new technologies. CT15 investigated how new technologies are influencing behavior and society through cyberadvertising, cyberfashion, and cyberstalking to name a few. The conference also explored how social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook are influencing individual behavior and personal relationships.

Under the direction of Tutorial Chairs, Prof. Luciano Gamberini and Dr. Alessandra Gorini, CT15 kicked off with pre-conference workshops on Sunday, the 13th of June, which focused on multiple aspects of cybertherapy. Professor Stéphane Bouchard led an important tutorial titled “Virtual Reality and Psychotherapy,” while Dr. Xialoing Hu and Professor Andrea Gaggioli led the “Virtual Reality Cognitive and Physical Rehabilitation” tutorial. Sunday concluded with a welcome reception with a performance by the Chung-Ang University Gayastra.

The conference officially began on Monday, the 14th of June, with welcome remarks from the Conference Co-Chairs, Professor Brenda K. Wiederhold and Professor Sun I. Kim. This year’s scientific chairs were Professors Stéphane Bouchard, José Gutiérrez Maldonado, and Giuseppe Riva.

Along with their invaluable help, we would also like to thank our sponsors including: Bionet, European Commission, DGINFSO, Hanyang University and Hanyang University’s Institute of Aging Society Silver & u-Health Research Center, International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation (iACToR), Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Interactive Media Institute (IMI), Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., National Institute on Drug Abuse, Osteosys, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada, Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC), Virtual Reality Medical Institute (VRMI), Chung-Ang University, and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF).

Monday’s program included two plenary sessions and two parallel sessions on the use of advanced technologies in anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and addictions as well as an online interaction symposium. Two attractive and innovative events of the conference took place during lunch on Monday. The poster session and Cyberarium gave opportunities for developers and scientists to demonstrate their work and converse, one-on-one, with interested spectators and colleagues. Monday was closed by the 2nd Annual General Assembly of the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation (iACToR), which was coordinated by Secretary General Brenda K. Wiederhold and led by newly elected President Professor Giuseppe Riva. The General Assembly invited members from over 20 countries to convene to review relationships made with other associations, conferences and publications. The General Assembly then discussed how to bring about more rapid innovation in the advanced technologies and healthcare arenas.

A performer from Hanyang University plays the gayageumam, a traditional Korean zither-like string instrument with 12 strings, during the opening ceremony for the conference.

Tuesday’s events included five symposiums on motor rehabilitation, how to study warfighters, training, education, presence, cybersickness, and cognitive rehabilitation. An awards ceremony took place during lunch on the 15th of June. Three categories of awards were give for outstanding achievements in CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy including the 6th Annual CyberTherapy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Annual CRC-Clinical Cyberpsychology New Investigator Award, and four student poster awards sponsored by the Virtual Reality Medical Institute and Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The scientific program ended with an “Ask the Experts” panel with discussions led by Prof. Brenda K. Wiederhold, Prof. Giuseppe Riva, and Prof. Stéphane Bouchard.

The conference concluded on the evening of the 15th with a social dinner in the North Seoul Tower, the highest building in Seoul, providing participants with a 360-degree view of the entire city as they enjoyed their dinner.

The 16th Annual CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy Conference will take place in Gatineau, Canada, on June 20 – 22, 2011. Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA and Stéphane Bouchard, Ph.D. of Université du Québec en Outaouais will serve as co-chairs.

For more information on the conference, please visit the Interactive Media Institute’s website at www.interactivemediainstitute. com or iACToR’s website at http://iactor.ning.com. Please e-mail cybertherapy@vrphobia.com with your questions or information requests about CT16.