Integrating Cyberpsychology into Cyber Science Education

This study investigates the integration of cyberpsychology into cyber science education to address critical psychosocial gaps in current cybersecurity curricula, which often overemphasize technical skills at the expense of human factors. This study employed qualitative meta-synthesis, using examples to highlight inter-disciplinary perspectives on cyber science, psychology, and pedagogical education, and create a mental model. Overall findings revealed major gaps that address psychological constructs such as behaviors related to online disinhibition, ethical conduct/decision-making, and emotional regulation within digital threat scenarios that influence student engagement, ethical grounding, and skill acquisition for professional practice. The study introduced a novel interdisciplinary framework, “Techno psychosocial Literacy," combining technical, psychological, and human social competences to cultivate comprehensive cybersecurity capabilities. The implications for addressing these concerns are significant, and the need for training for educators in the area of cyberpsychology, re-working existing curricula against a holistic technology-human-centred curriculum, and further research creating connective, scalable, and culturally neutral integration projects, in line with possible educational settings.