Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
28 used & new from £8.99
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Media Equation: How People Treat Computers, Television, and New Media like Real People and Places (CSLI Lecture Notes)
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Media Equation: How People Treat Computers, Television, and New Media like Real People and Places (CSLI Lecture Notes) (Paperback)

by Byron Reeves (Author), Clifford Nass (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
RRP: £15.00
Price: £14.25 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £0.75 (5%)
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 7? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
15 new from £10.05 13 used from £8.99
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 12 used & new from £7.95

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do (Interactive Technologies)

Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do (Interactive Technologies)

by B.J. Fogg
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £31.35
About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design

About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design

by Alan Cooper
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £20.29
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Introducing Statistical Methods series)

Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Introducing Statistical Methods series)

by Andy Field
4.9 out of 5 stars (39)  £29.69
The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit

The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit

by S Turkle
£18.00
Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet

Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet

by Sherry Turkle
4.2 out of 5 stars (9)  £9.14
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 305 pages
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press; New edition edition (13 May 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1575860538
  • ISBN-13: 978-1575860534
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.5 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 110,159 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #48 in  Books > Computing & Internet > Computer Science > Interface Design
    #81 in  Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Psychology & Psychiatry > Methodology

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Review
"The best book on this topic..." Speech Technology

Product Description
According to popular wisdom, humans never relate to a computer or a television program in the same way they relate to another human being. Or do they? The psychological and sociological complexities of the relationship could be greater than you think. In an extraordinary revision of received wisdom, Byron Reeves and Clifford Nass demonstrate convincingly in The Media Equation that interactions with computers, television, and new communication technologies are identical to real social relationships and to the navigation of real physical spaces. Using everyday language, the authors explain their novel ideas in a way that will engage general readers with an interest in cutting-edge research at the intersection of psychology, communication and computer technology. The result is an accessible summary of exciting ideas for modern times. As Bill Gates says, ‘(they) … have shown us some amazing things’.

See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
interaction design
cooper

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary! Why media must appeal to the caveman., 28 Feb 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: The Media Equation: How People Treat Computers, Television, and New Media like Real People and Places (CSLI Lecture Notes) (Hardcover)
Anyone working in "new media" (writers, political consultants, market research, advertising, software designers, tv and movie makers, webmasters, cinematographers, etc.), not aware of how our "old," hunter-gatherer brains interpret the modern world, isn't working with a full tool box.

Authors Reeves and Nass show, through their experiments, that people (including programmers and many others intimately familiar with how media works) cannot disengage hard-wired caveman brains when working with software, playing a game, watching an ad, or seeing a movie. If we could, then why did that horror movie make our hearts race? And why did it make us jumpy afterwards?

So how do we treat computers like people? Here's one example from the book. In human interaction, one is likely to politely agree (a/k/a fib a little) with an acquaintance who says, "Isn't this a great sweater?" One also tends to be more honest discussing the sweater with a third party, "That sweater isn't my favorite color."

If people do treat computers like humans, then (substituting computers for people in the example), a person would agree with Computer A (out of politeness!), but tell Computer B the truth. And that's what happened in the authors' test lab.

People were quizzed by Computer A (programmed to perform poorly), "Aren't I doing a great job?" -- and they gave Computer A high marks. Then, in another room, Computer B asked about Computer A's performance... and people rated Computer A more honestly (and consistantly lower than they rated Computer A "to its face.") The pattern of response to the computers matched the way people interact with each other.

In example after example, covering many, many areas of human behavior (from politeness to flight-or-flight and even to how little it takes for us to perceive something as male or female and how that colors our thoughts), Reeves and Nash show us how our old brains are responding to our high-tech world .

The ideas in this book should provoke discussion, controversy, and more study. But, those in media need to adjust to the reality that if you want to talk to the 21st century human -- you better learn, first, how to appeal to the caveman.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars a great book to understand how people interact with media, 19 Nov 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: The Media Equation: How People Treat Computers, Television, and New Media like Real People and Places (CSLI Lecture Notes) (Hardcover)
Thsi book is the basis for the communication department at stanford university. it is a very easy read and a worthwhile read
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, 29 Jun 1998
By A Customer
Communicationswith the computer are becoming more and more human-like. Giving a computer a feminine voice affects how we respond to the computer's output to us.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject


















i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

›More info on Wish Lists

  

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates