Papers by Peter Nagy
The purpose of the current paper is to explore the influence of identity on self-extension tenden... more The purpose of the current paper is to explore the influence of identity on self-extension tendency and virtual consumption in online communities. The importance of material possessions for individual identity has been explored extensively in offline yet only sporadically in online conditions. Data were collected from a group of Second Life residents. Participants rated their virtual identities more favourably than their offline ones across most dimensions. Users characterised with specific identity orientations-such as being more emotional, more anxious and less powerful-were more likely to incorporate digital objects into their self. Additional variation was established by age and gender, yielding results that extend or at times even contradict our understanding derived from offline contexts. Emotion and stability influenced virtual consumption patterns, as manifested in more frequent store visits and greater product variety. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Science and Engineering Ethics, 2019
Since its first publication in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has t... more Since its first publication in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has transcended genres and cultures to become a foundational myth about science and technology across a multitude of media forms and adaptations. Following in the footsteps of the brilliant yet troubled Victor Frankenstein, professionals and practitioners have been debating the scientific ethics of creating life for decades, never before have powerful tools for doing so been so widely available. This paper investigates how engaging with the Frankenstein myth may help scientists gain a more accurate understanding of their own beliefs and opinions about the social and ethical aspects of their profession and their work. The paper presents findings from phenomenological interviews with twelve scientists working on biotechnology, robotics, or artificial intelligence projects. The results suggest that the Frankenstein myth, and the figure of Victor Frankenstein in particular, establishes norms for scientists about what is considered unethical and dangerous in scientific work. The Frankenstein myth both serves as a social and ethical reference for scientists and a mediator between scientists and the society. Grappling with the cultural ubiquity of the Frankenstein myth prepares scientists to face their ethical dilemmas and create a more transparent research agenda. Meanwhile, by focusing on the differences between real scientists and the imaginary figure of Victor Frankenstein, scientists may avoid being labeled as dangerous individuals, and could better conceptualize the potential societal and ethical perceptions and implications of their research.
In this chapter we present theories and research findings from communication, media and design st... more In this chapter we present theories and research findings from communication, media and design studies that have stemmed from James Gibson's highly influential affordance theory originating from the late 1970s. We do so from the lens of human-machine communication to determine how the field can benefit from the use of Gibson's work. Long before the concept of affordance was adopted in communication, media and design studies, it was part of a provocative framework that challenged how psychologists conceptualized the relationship between perception and action. Taking a historical, cultural and critical approach, we describe what human-machine communication researchers can learn from affordance theory. When it comes to human-machine communication, we argue that scholars could use affordances to capture how users and designers "imagine" the potential uses of interactive technologies. In order to study affordances, the field could approach the notion that emerges between users' perceptions, attitudes, and expectations; between the materiality and functionality of technologies; and between the intentions and perceptions of designers. We close the chapter by formulating suggestions for researchers wishing to explore what affordance theory means and how it can be used for the field of human-machine communication.
British Journal of Educational Technology, 2022
Using Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as inspiration, this paper presents a Frankenstein-themed trans... more Using Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as inspiration, this paper presents a Frankenstein-themed transmedia storytelling experience, which encompasses simple hands-on activities and an online narrative experience that allows students to model scientific work and engage in various science activities. The study aimed to test whether students can develop higher science and creative self-efficacy beliefs, and a stronger science curiosity, by engaging in the transmedia experience that combined hands-on and online narrative activities compared with participating in only hands-on or online narrative experiences. Our paper presents findings from two classroom studies using survey findings. Results show that all three conditions (hands-on, online game experience and transmedia) had a significant positive impact on learners' self-efficacy beliefs and curiosity, but there was no additional benefit for the transmedia condition. Nevertheless, our work has various implications for learning sciences about the potential benefits and drawbacks of transmedia storytelling experiences. Our findings can help educators and researchers design and run transmedia storytelling projects.
Using Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as inspiration, this paper presents a Frankenstein-themed trans... more Using Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as inspiration, this paper presents a Frankenstein-themed transmedia storytelling experience, which encompasses simple hands-on activities and an online narrative experience that allows students to model scientific work and engage in various science activities. The study aimed to test whether students can develop higher science and creative self-efficacy beliefs, and a stronger science curiosity, by engaging in the transmedia experience that combined hands-on and online narrative activities compared with participating in only hands-on or online narrative experiences. Our paper presents findings from two classroom studies using survey findings. Results show that all three conditions (hands-on, online game experience and transmedia) had a significant positive impact on learners' self-efficacy beliefs and curiosity, but there was no additional benefit for the transmedia condition. Nevertheless, our work has various implications for learning sciences about the potential benefits and drawbacks of transmedia storytelling experiences. Our findings can help educators and researchers design and run transmedia storytelling projects.
Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2021
Boasting a wide range of interactive and engaging features, narrative-based learning has become i... more Boasting a wide range of interactive and engaging features, narrative-based learning has become increasingly popular in educational settings. Narrative-based instructional approaches engage students in a novel set of engaging experiences for educational purposes. Although it is not a new concept, the implications of narrative-based learning for science ethics education are still understudied in the learning sciences. In this paper, we use the concept of educational affordances to describe how educators and learners could utilize narrative-based learning activities for science ethics education. We illustrate our educational framework through the example of Frankenstein200 — a learning experience inspired by Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein. Based on short essays describing students’ perceptions of the Frankenstein200 experience, we propose that narrative-based learning activities afford the development of two distinct mental models: doing responsible science and being a responsible scientist. These mental models can serve as important tools for learners to develop a more concrete and elaborated understanding of science ethics. The framework will help educators create narrative-based learning experiences, activities, and artifacts to support their students’ engagement with science ethics across diverse mediums.
Journal of Moral Education, 2021
In order to help students become scientifically literate citizens, science education should allow... more In order to help students become scientifically literate citizens, science education should allow them to gain a more concrete understanding of the potential social and ethical impacts of scientific and technological change. Using Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as an imaginative tool, we designed simple hands-on activities and a digital narrative game experience for middle school students, to open up new ways for students to think and talk about ethical issues around scientific creativity and exploration. After taking part in these activities, we interviewed 16 participants to investigate how the activities and the game affected their perceptions of science ethics. Although our respondents had difficulties conceptualizing science ethics in the abstract, we found that the activities gave them a variety of new ideas about the ethical and social implications of scientific work. Results from this study can help educators and researchers design, implement, and evaluate science ethics activities for middle school students.
This paper introduces the Frankenstein200 experience, which combines simple hands-on activities a... more This paper introduces the Frankenstein200 experience, which combines simple hands-on activities and narrative-based learning to enable learners to position themselves as scientists and learn about science and science ethics. Presenting findings from 2 studies in science museums, the current work describes how Frankenstein200 was implemented and tested in informal education settings and the impact it had on learners. Results from this research suggest that narrative-based learning experiences such as Frankenstein200 can serve as an effective tool for tackling complex and abstract issues in an approachable way, motivating people to engage in scientific conversations, and encouraging people to see themselves as scientists and creators.
Digital object attachment is a complex phenomenon that received limited attention in the extant l... more Digital object attachment is a complex phenomenon that received limited attention in the extant literature. The purpose of the current article is to develop a conceptual model to clarify discrepancies and encourage future work in this area. We classify digital objects into four categories by their complexity, user control, interactivity and user value. The proposed model captures the dynamic and cyclical interplay between the user, the digital object and the environment. The user-object relationship can evolve over time through user dedication and psychological ownership, enabling identity experimentation and formation that ultimately lead to object attachment. In advanced forms, digital objects can assume transitional properties that blur the user’s offline and digital existence and trigger identity transference.
Transmedia storytelling has been shown to provide a wide range of positive learning outcomes, lik... more Transmedia storytelling has been shown to provide a wide range of positive learning outcomes, like increased academic achievement and interest. However, while several studies have investigated the potential learning benefits of transmedia storytelling, it is still not fully understood how it can support learners' identity development. Here, we present findings from a study that investigated the impact of a transmedia storytelling experience, Frankenstein200, on learners' science identity. While we could not identify a statistically significant impact of Frankenstein200 on learners' science identity from the survey data, the qualitative findings showed that many participants could imagine themselves as scientists and identify with scientists after taking part in Frankenstein200.
Since its first publication in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has t... more Since its first publication in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has transcended genres and cultures to become a foundational myth about science and technology across a multitude of media forms and adaptations. Following in the footsteps of the brilliant yet troubled Victor Frankenstein, professionals and practitioners have been debating the scientific ethics of creating life for decades, never before have powerful tools for doing so been so widely available. This paper investigates how engaging with the Frankenstein myth may help scientists gain a more accurate understanding of their own beliefs and opinions about the social and ethical aspects of their profession and their work. The paper presents findings from phenomenological interviews with twelve scientists working on biotechnology, robotics, or artificial intelligence projects. The results suggest that the Frankenstein myth, and the figure of Victor Frankenstein in particular, establishes norms for scientists about what is considered unethical and dangerous in scientific work. The Frankenstein myth both serves as a social and ethical reference for scientists and a mediator between scientists and the society. Grappling with the cultural ubiquity of the Frankenstein myth prepares scientists to face their ethical dilemmas and create a more transparent research agenda. Meanwhile, by focusing on the differences between real scientists and the imaginary figure of Victor Frankenstein, scientists may avoid being labeled as dangerous individuals, and could better conceptualize the potential societal and ethical perceptions and implications of their research.
Background: Marfan syndrome is a genetic disease, presenting with dysfunction of connective tissu... more Background: Marfan syndrome is a genetic disease, presenting with dysfunction of connective tissues leading to lesions in the cardiovascular and skeletal muscle system. Within these symptoms, the most typical is weakness of the connective tissue in the aorta, manifesting as aortic dilatation (aneurysm). This could, in turn, become annuloaortic ectasia, or life-threatening dissection. As a result, life-saving and preventative cardiac surgical interventions are frequent among Marfan syndrome patients. Aortic aneurysm could turn into annuloaortic ectasia or life-threatening dissection, thus life-saving and preventive cardiac surgical interventions are frequent among patients with Marfan syndrome. We hypothesized that patients with Marfan syndrome have different level of anxiety, depression and satisfaction with life compared to that of the non-clinical patient population. Methods: Patients diagnosed with Marfan syndrome were divided into 3 groups: those scheduled for prophylactic surgery, those needing acute surgery, and those without need for surgery (n = 9, 19, 17, respectively). To examine the psychological features of the patients, Spielberger's anxiety (STAI) test, Beck's Depression questionnaire (BDI), the Berne Questionnaire of Subjective Well-being, and the Satisfaction with Life scale were applied.
Creative Commons CC-BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons At... more Creative Commons CC-BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). SI: Culture Digitally For this essay, we turn to one commonly used term in that literature that warrants significant reconsideration—if not reconstruction—affordance. A widely used keyword for communication technology studies, affordance nevertheless lacks a clear definition in the communication and media studies literature. We will argue that communication scholars have misappropriated an outdated definition of affordance from psychology that neither fits with how the term is used in that discipline nor helps communication scholars advance theory of our own. Emerging approaches to materiality within communication, attention to affect and emotion, and renewed interest in the processes of mediation all necessitate a richer and more nuanced notion of technological affor-dance than the communication field currently uses. When scholars use " affordances and constraints " to describe the qualities of communication technologies and media, they tap into concepts rooted in a history of scholarly conversations. However, we would argue the phrase now fails to capture the complexity of the interactive production of the stuff of communication and the richness of the emerging new scholarship that gives serious attention to the materiality, affect, and media on which communication are built. As a corrective, we propose the concept imagined affor-dance. We mean imagined affordance in three distinct ways. First, communication scholars have imagined a consensus or clarity around the term " affordance, " which lacks in reality a clear definition within the communication literature. Second, imagined affordance evokes the imagination of both users and designers—expectations for technology that are not fully realized in conscious, rational knowledge but are nonetheless concretized or materialized in socio-technical systems. Affordances are, we argue, in large part imagined by users, a meaning of affordance that we get from psychology that has Abstract In this essay, we reconstruct a keyword for communication—affordance. Affordance, adopted from ecological psychology, is now widely used in technology studies, yet the term lacks a clear definition. This is especially problematic for scholars grappling with how to theorize the relationship between technology and sociality for complex socio-technical systems such as machine-learning algorithms, pervasive computing, the Internet of Things, and other such " smart " innovations. Within technology studies, emerging theories of materiality, affect, and mediation all necessitate a richer and more nuanced definition for affordance than the field currently uses. To solve this, we develop the concept of imagined affordance. Imagined affordances emerge between users' perceptions, attitudes, and expectations; between the materiality and functionality of technologies; and between the intentions and perceptions of designers. We use imagined affordance to evoke the importance of imagination in affordances—expectations for technology that are not fully realized in conscious, rational knowledge. We also use imagined affordance to distinguish our process-oriented, socio-technical definition of affordance from the " imagined " consensus of the field around a flimsier use of the term. We also use it in order to better capture the importance of mediation, materiality, and affect. We suggest that imagined affordance helps to theorize the duality of materiality and communication technology: namely, that people shape their media environments, perceive them, and have agency within them because of imagined affordances.
Proceedings of FIKUSZ, 10th Symposium for Young …, Jan 1, 2010
Virtual social worlds, such as Second Life, by gaining more and more popularity, have attracted t... more Virtual social worlds, such as Second Life, by gaining more and more popularity, have attracted the attention of the business media. The aim of the present article is to explore the relationship between the Second Life avatar (using the term of virtual identity) and shopping habits in Second Life focusing on consumer behaviour. Firstly, we present how virtual social worlds function and how they differ from other social media. Secondly, we will illustrate how online identity construction affects one's behavior in such environments from a business perspective. To study Second Life we used the term virtual identity which was compared to the actual person's actual self-representation. According to the literature, people tend to construct their virtual identity in a different way from the real one. Therefore, it is extremely important to study both the aspects of the everyday life and the presentation of the virtual self. We also wish to highlight the points companies should pay particular attention to in their virtual social world activities from the perspective of the psychological mechanisms that conduct people's online behaviour and thinking. Finally, we demonstrate our hypothetical model of Second Life identity construction along with its effects on consumption and its implications for the future.
Journal Articles by Peter Nagy
Journal of Business Research, 2025
The rise of virtual influencers (VIs) in digital marketing channels, such as social media platfor... more The rise of virtual influencers (VIs) in digital marketing channels, such as social media platforms and the met- averse, raises critical, under-researched questions about blame attribution to these digital entities and its sub- sequent impact on brand trust. Our research addresses this gap by applying the theoretical lens of mind perception to two studies using an experimental causal chain design approach. Study 1 revealed that consumers attribute higher mind perception to a human VI and consequently place more blame on them in negative scenarios compared to AI-powered VI. Additionally, we found that perceived mind perception was unaffected by the digital channel (social media versus metaverse). Study 2 demonstrated that brand trust diminishes more significantly when an AI-powered VI is blamed compared to a human VI. These insights contribute to under- standing the psychological mechanism of blame judgement towards VIs, and highlight the importance for brands to consider the repercussions of using AI-powered VI.
New Media & Society, 2024
In this article, we introduce the term “conjuration of algorithms” to describe how the tech indus... more In this article, we introduce the term “conjuration of algorithms” to describe how the tech industry uses the language of magic to shape people’s perceptions of algorithms. We use the image of the magician as a metaphor for how the tech industry strategically deploys narrative devices to present their algorithms. After presenting a brief history of the Western European and North American understanding of stage magic, we apply three principles of magic to a recent case: OpenAI’s discussion of ChatGPT to show how tech leaders present algorithms as magical entities. We argue that the conjuration of algorithms allows the tech industry to forge vivid, overly positive, and deterministic narratives that make it challenging for their critics to call attention to the very real harms that algorithmic systems pose to users. We call for discourses of reality instead of magic, as a way to support responsible technology design, development, use, and governance.
Science & Education, 2023
In this paper, we present findings from an exploratory qualitative study that investigated how ha... more In this paper, we present findings from an exploratory qualitative study that investigated how hands-on activities can help learners think of socioscientific issues more concretely. These activities borrowed themes, such as the responsibilities of creators and limits of scientific exploration from the culturally ubiquitous Frankenstein story to stimulate students' thinking about socioscientific issues faced by scientists when they create and manipulate life. Our findings suggest that hands-on activities can open up new ways for learners to think about the social and ethical ramifications of emergent scientific practices and advancements. By allowing them to work on different hands-on activities that imitate scientific work, learners could explore various ethical questions around the creation and manipulation of organic and artificial life, which in turn could allow them to think about complex issues more elaborately. Our findings provide a framework for understanding young learners' conceptualizations and perceptions of various socioscientific issues. Lessons from this study can also inform practitioners and professionals about how to design and implement hands-on activities that are inexpensive, accessible, and broadly appealing to diverse groups of learners.
History: Reviews of New Books, 2023
Journal of Creative Behavior, 2023
In the past decade, creativity researchers have attempted to explore how creative fixed and growt... more In the past decade, creativity researchers have attempted to explore how creative fixed and growth mindsets shape creative outcomes and effort. Previous studies found a strong association between creative mindsets and self-perceptions. However, research on the relationship between creative mindsets and performance led to mixed results. In an attempt to explain these confusing findings, many advocated the idea that creative mindsets may influence how learners utilize their domain knowledge and skills in creative performance. To empirically test this assumption, we investigated the influence of domain knowledge and skills on the relationship between creative mindsets and performance among college students (n = 125) in the context of ESL/EAL writing. Our results show that a fixed creative mindset, but not growth, together with ESL/EAL writing proficiency contribute to ESL/EAL creative writing performance. We also found that domain-specific knowledge and skills play a role in how creative mindsets translate to creative performance: while endorsing a fixed mindset was detrimental for students at all ESL/EAL writing proficiency levels, a growth mindset was beneficial at high proficiency levels only. These findings contradict the assumption that cultivating a growth creative mindset will lead to positive creative outcomes for all. Practical implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.
Curator: The Museum Journal, 2022
Responsible research and innovation (RRI) is a framework for thinking about the implications of s... more Responsible research and innovation (RRI) is a framework for thinking about the implications of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) discoveries and innovations and shaping them in a way that is responsible to people, future generations, and the natural environment. In this paper, we present a project that engages museum visitors in learning about RRI through hands-on activities inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein story, characters, and themes. We developed a learning framework describing strategies and outcomes for RRI in informal educational settings, then created a set of seven activities that embodied the framework and studied their implementation at 13 museums. Evidence from observations and interviews are consistent with the RRI learning framework and suggest a number of practical implications for its use in museums.
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Papers by Peter Nagy
Journal Articles by Peter Nagy
applications rapidly became favourable means of popular media among members of
the younger generation, who enthusiastically embraced the contributions of the new
Digital Age. The purpose of the current article is to explore the nature of adolescent
gamers’ use of avatars as transitional objects, via employing object-relations
theory to understand the psychological use of objects within a digital material
culture. Incorporating the psychoanalytic research interview method, the current
study builds on in-depth interviews with two adolescent males. By equipping their
avatars with special skills, attributes and possessions, users were able to establish
their virtual presence, and in turn address and compensate for certain difficulties,
shortcomings and anxieties deriving from their offline existence and family conflicts.
The avatars were viewed as objects of perfection and collectors of meaningful artefacts, and served as a source of status, recognition and accomplishment; frequently reaching beyond offline realities. Throughout the manuscript, we discuss relevant implications for the field of game studies.
Design/methodology/approach – Scientific investigation conducted by two independent researchers included the content analysis of a total of 50 advergames integrated in 11 food company affiliated web sites.
Findings – Advergames are successful promotion strategies that reinforce brand recognition and positive associations toward food products.
Practical implications – By influencing and encouraging children's cognitive processes, advergames affect their natural development.
Originality/value – A content analysis of advergames has not yet been conducted in Hungary. By introducing psychological factors, the present paper can contribute to finding additional approaches to understand the effects of advergames on children.
Design/methodology/approach - Through an extensive literature review, the paper compiles the latest and most fundamental research capturing relevant concepts from the fields of psychology, pedagogy, management and human-computer interaction.
Findings - The current conceptual model incorporates individual and group level outcomes associated with virtual world participation, along three primary dimensions; namely self-reference, role experimentation and social capital, accounting for potential variation based on the extent of organizational engagement.
Practical implications - The three proposed dimensions elaborated in the current model, including reflexivity / transference, role playing / role identification, and group collaboration / virtual teams, enable organizations to understand the likely outcomes of their virtual presence from the perspective of their structural and social attributes.
Originality/value - The proposed conceptual model offers a theoretical base for academics and practitioners to expand upon and develop concrete practical examples and cases.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered on the basis of surveys, and were analyzed through a series of multivariate models.
Findings – It was found that participants' reasons and motivations for online presence varied as a function of gender and age. Different degrees of Facebook usage were linked with different school-related attitudes. More specifically, more extensive usage was associated with more negative school and peer attitudes; more so for females and for college students. Furthermore, greater reliance on online interactions for social and emotional support was found disadvantageous for college students, while neutral or in some cases beneficial for high school students.
Research limitations/implications – Gender and educational level appear to be important factors explaining some of the variation in school-related attitudes, and thus should be explored separately.
Practical implications – The differential impact of online presence on school attitudes for college and high school students highlights the need for teachers and student advisors to be sensitive to such transitional groups.
Social implications – The authors found that more popular students, those often viewed as “opinion leaders”, tended to show more negative school outcomes than less popular students in general; a relevant point for organizations.
Originality/value – Facebook usage and school-related attitudes were observed simultaneously in high school and college populations studying in Budapest, Hungary."
business activities, and their mutual impact on each other. Qualitative narrative research analysis was employed. From our results, three distinct categories emerged on the basis of residents’ immersion to Second Life; 1) purely virtual, 2) mixed, and 3) realist. We highlight particular characteristics associated with each of these clusters, with suggestions aiming to capture the various demands and preferences of each corresponding
group. In terms of business activities, residents appeared quite demanding, identifying high quality products and professional services as the basis for business success in virtual settings. The business approaches most likely identified to lead to success or failure associated with certain businesses confirm that online environments differ substantially from physical and real world markets, with trust being a particularly sensitive issue in these
anonym and fully disembodied contexts. Further implications for organizations and scholars are discussed.