MSc Cyberpsychology students get a (virtual) visit from the FBI

Cyberpsychology at NTU is all about the psychological study of the use of the internet and digital technologies. We explore how people use their technology – from social media to video conferencing and VR – and the psychology behind how this impacts on their health and wellbeing. Alongside this, we also explore online behaviour including deviant activity, from hacking to cybercrime, trolling to bullying.

That’s why on 22 January 2026, we were thrilled to welcome a special agent from the FBI’s Behavioural Analysis Unit (2) to talk to our students about the work they do.

Beaming in from Quantico, Supervisory Special Agent Sean Scanlon spoke to our students about how the FBI conduct their investigations, including the deeper analytical processes and the importance of considering cyberpsychological factors at a time when digital technology is profoundly embedded in everyday life.

Sean posed the question: “Given the ubiquitous and symbiotic nature of technology in our everyday lives, I ask: as a behavioral analyst, do you even know who you are dealing with if you are not considering their online digital residue as part of your assessment?”

Earlier in the year, our students had covered a wide range of the theoretical background of many of the techniques and frameworks that are currently being used by Sean and his team in their investigations. bringing to life how these theories are applied to real-world settings.

Dr Lee Hadlington and Dr Chloe Ryding are co-course leaders for the MSc Cyberpsychology, and afterwards said: “this visit is one part of a wider programme designed by our course team to showcase how what we teach is preparing them with essential knowledge and skills for an exciting future career.”

Think you might be interested in studying Cyberpsychology? Visit our course webpage for more information on what you’ll study, how the course is structured, and more about what it’s like to study at NTU.