Rabindra Ayyan Ratan

All Publications

• Examining attitudes about the virtual workplace: Associations between zoom fatigue, impression management, and virtual meeting adoption intent. PloS one Lim, C., Ratan, R., Foxman, M., Beyea, D., Jeong, D., Leith, A. P. 2025; 20 (2): e0312354

  Abstract

  Impression management is a crucial tactic within the workplace milieu. This study establishes a connection between impression management and the negative self-evaluation stemming from heightened self-monitoring during virtual meetings (VM), which manifests in the form of Zoom (VM) fatigue. We conducted a cross-sectional survey, by recruiting 2,448 U.S.-based workers. Our survey results revealed that facial appearance dissatisfaction is associated with VM fatigue, resulting in lower intention to adopt VM technologies due to decreased perceived usefulness of VM technologies. Furthermore, building upon the Uses and Gratification (UG) perspective and the assumptions of the Social Information Processing (SIP) theory and the Hyperpersonal Model, our findings illuminate that VM fatigue prompts the use of impression management behaviors by using VM features closely linked to dissatisfaction with one's facial appearance. The results suggest that utilization of impression management features in VMs is driven by needs related to facial appearance concerns, which is associated with impression management. This study extends the concept of impression management to VM environments in the workplace, underscoring the importance of addressing workers' needs and well-being to foster worker-friendly VM communication environments and promote VM acceptance. This study identifies external factors within the Technology Acceptance Model by integrating the UG perspective, the SIP theory, and the Hyperpersonal Model to understand the mechanisms underlying VM fatigue and adoption in the emerging virtual workplace.

  View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0312354

  View details for PubMedID 39908226

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11798524

• Zoom Fatigue and Facial Dissatisfaction Relate to Virtual Meeting Engagement Differently in the U.S. and South Korean Contexts. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking Lim, C., Ratan, R. 2025; 28 (2): 82-89

  Abstract

  Virtual meetings, facilitated through videoconferencing or virtual reality, have become a common form of workplace communication. Despite the advantages these meetings offer, enabling collaboration among workers in dispersed locations, the phenomenon of virtual meeting fatigue, commonly referred to as Zoom fatigue, has emerged as a significant concern. This study explores whether facial appearance dissatisfaction, a known contributor to Zoom fatigue, leads to reduced engagement in virtual meeting interactions by mediating the role of Zoom fatigue. Furthermore, this study examines the impact of facial dissatisfaction and Zoom fatigue on virtual meeting engagement cross-culturally, within the contexts of South Korea and the United States. The findings indicate that in the United States, facial dissatisfaction led to a lower level of virtual meeting engagement through the mediating role of Zoom fatigue, while in South Korea, facial dissatisfaction negatively impacted virtual meeting engagement regardless of Zoom fatigue levels. Additionally, we reveal that Zoom fatigue and facial dissatisfaction are more pronounced among U.S. women than U.S. men, but differences were not observed between South Korean women and men. These results underscore the influence of societal competitiveness, as seen in South Korea, on impression management concerns in technology-mediated work environments. We highlight the importance of developing virtual meeting features to mitigate facial dissatisfaction and Zoom fatigue, thereby enhancing engagement in virtual interactions.

  View details for DOI 10.1089/cyber.2024.0099

  View details for PubMedID 39648826

• Machine Learning(s) in gaming disorder through the user-avatar bond: A step towards conceptual and methodological clarity Reply to: User-avatar bond as diagnostic indicator for gaming disorder: A word on the side of caution (2024) JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL ADDICTIONS Stavropoulos, V., Prokofieva, M., Zarate, D., Colder Carras, M., Ratan, R., Kowert, R., Schivinski, B., Burleigh, T. L., Poulus, D., Karimi, L., Gorman-Alesi, A., Brown, T., Gomez, R., Hein, K., Arachchilage, N., Griffiths, M. D. 2024; 13 (4): 894-900

  Abstract

  In response to our study, the commentary by Infanti et al. (2024) raised critical points regarding (i) the conceptualization and utility of the user-avatar bond in addressing gaming disorder (GD) risk, and (ii) the optimization of supervised machine learning techniques applied to assess GD risk. To advance the scientific dialogue and progress in these areas, the present paper aims to: (i) enhance the clarity and understanding of the concepts of the avatar, the user-avatar bond, and the digital phenotype concerning gaming disorder (GD) within the broader field of behavioral addictions, and (ii) comparatively assess how the user-avatar bond (UAB) may predict GD risk, by both removing data augmentation before the data split and by implementing alternative data imbalance treatment approaches in programming.

  View details for DOI 10.1556/2006.2024.00063

  View details for Web of Science ID 001428870800001

  View details for PubMedID 39576295

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11737409

• Zoom fatigue in review: A meta-analytical examination of videoconferencing fatigue's antecedents COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR REPORTS Beyea, D., Lim, C., Lover, A., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., Leith, A. 2025; 17

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100571

  View details for Web of Science ID 001392907300001

• Examining the Proteus effect on misogynistic behavior induced by a sports mascot avatar in virtual reality. Scientific reports Ratan, R., Boumis, J., McNeill, G., Desrochers, A., Taskas, S., Jang, D., Makki, T. 2024; 14 (1): 19659

  Abstract

  The Proteus effect is a phenomenon found in over 60 studies where people tend to conform behaviorally to their avatars' identity characteristics, especially in virtual reality. This study extends research on the Proteus effect to consider organization-representing avatars and misogynistic behavioral outcomes. Male participants (N = 141) in a lab experiment embodied a set of pretested avatars which varied in level of association with a university mascot (i.e., color and body type) in a bespoke virtual reality simulation designed to elicit misogynistic behavior. Namely, participants were directed to place a hand on virtual agents' body parts, including the buttocks (i.e., a transgressive misogynistic act). Time delay in complying with directions to touch the agents' buttocks served as an implicit measure of resistance to this misogynistic behavior. Results suggest that within moderately masculine body-size avatar users, those who embodied a university-color-associated avatar exhibited more misogynistic behaviors (i.e., faster buttocks-touching). Unexpectedly, this effect of avatar color was not apparent within the hypermasculine body-size avatars, and within the university-associated color condition, hypermasculine body-type was associated with less misogynistic behavior. These findings suggest that organization-representing avatars may induce behavioral conformity to implicit attitudes associated with the organization, such as misogyny.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41598-024-70450-2

  View details for PubMedID 39179742

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11343733

• Seeing the World Through Digital Prisms: Psychological Implications of Passthrough Video Usage in Mixed Reality TECHNOLOGY, MIND, AND BEHAVIOR Bailenson, J. N., Beams, B., Brown, J., Deveaux, C., Han, E., Queiroz, A. M., Ratan, R., Santoso, M., Srirangarajan, T., Tao, Y., Wang, P. 2024; 5 (2)

  View details for DOI 10.1037/tmb0000129

  View details for Web of Science ID 001397434100001

• An Avatar's worth in the metaverse workplace: Assessing predictors of avatar customization valuation COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR Lim, C., Ratan, R., Foxman, M., Meshi, D., Liu, H., Hales, G. E., Lei, Y. 2024; 158

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chb.2024.108309

  View details for Web of Science ID 001250705400001

• Reliability and factorial validity of the cross-media self-presence questionnaire (CM-SPQ) COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR REPORTS Dombrovskis, V., Levina, J., Ruza, A. 2024; 13

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100370

  View details for Web of Science ID 001161934000001

• Exploring how gender-anonymous voice avatars influence women's performance in online computing group work INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN-COMPUTER STUDIES Kao, D., Mubarrat, S. T., Joshi, A., Pandita, S., Mousas, C., Liang, H., Ratan, R. 2024; 181

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2023.103146

  View details for Web of Science ID 001089162400001

• How Does Exposure to General and Sexual Harassment Relate to Female Gamers' Coping Strategies and Mental Health? GAMES AND CULTURE Wong, S., Ratan, R. 2024; 19 (5): 670-689

  View details for DOI 10.1177/15554120231177600

  View details for Web of Science ID 001041326900001

• Artificial Intelligence Versus Human-Controlled Doctor in Virtual Reality Simulation for Sepsis Team Training: Randomized Controlled Study. Journal of medical Internet research Liaw, S. Y., Tan, J. Z., Bin Rusli, K. D., Ratan, R., Zhou, W., Lim, S., Lau, T. C., Seah, B., Chua, W. L. 2023; 25: e47748

  Abstract

  Interprofessional communication is needed to enhance the early recognition and management of patients with sepsis. Preparing medical and nursing students using virtual reality simulation has been shown to be an effective learning approach for sepsis team training. However, its scalability is constrained by unequal cohort sizes between medical and nursing students. An artificial intelligence (AI) medical team member can be implemented in a virtual reality simulation to engage nursing students in sepsis team training.This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an AI-powered doctor versus a human-controlled doctor in training nursing students for sepsis care and interprofessional communication.A randomized controlled trial study was conducted with 64 nursing students who were randomly assigned to undertake sepsis team training with an AI-powered doctor (AI-powered group) or with medical students using virtual reality simulation (human-controlled group). Participants from both groups were tested on their sepsis and communication performance through simulation-based assessments (posttest). Participants' sepsis knowledge and self-efficacy in interprofessional communication were also evaluated before and after the study interventions.A total of 32 nursing students from each group completed the simulation-based assessment, sepsis and communication knowledge test, and self-efficacy questionnaire. Compared with the baseline scores, both the AI-powered and human-controlled groups demonstrated significant improvements in communication knowledge (P=.001) and self-efficacy in interprofessional communication (P<.001) in posttest scores. For sepsis care knowledge, a significant improvement in sepsis care knowledge from the baseline was observed in the AI-powered group (P<.001) but not in the human-controlled group (P=.16). Although no significant differences were found in sepsis care performance between the groups (AI-powered group: mean 13.63, SD 4.23, vs human-controlled group: mean 12.75, SD 3.85, P=.39), the AI-powered group (mean 9.06, SD 1.78) had statistically significantly higher sepsis posttest knowledge scores (P=.009) than the human-controlled group (mean 7.75, SD 2.08). No significant differences were found in interprofessional communication performance between the 2 groups (AI-powered group: mean 29.34, SD 8.37, vs human-controlled group: mean 27.06, SD 5.69, P=.21). However, the human-controlled group (mean 69.6, SD 14.4) reported a significantly higher level of self-efficacy in interprofessional communication (P=.008) than the AI-powered group (mean 60.1, SD 13.3).Our study suggested that AI-powered doctors are not inferior to human-controlled virtual reality simulations with respect to sepsis care and interprofessional communication performance, which supports the viability of implementing AI-powered doctors to achieve scalability in sepsis team training. Our findings also suggested that future innovations should focus on the sociability of AI-powered doctors to enhance users' interprofessional communication training. Perhaps in the nearer term, future studies should examine how to best blend AI-powered training with human-controlled virtual reality simulation to optimize clinical performance in sepsis care and interprofessional communication.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05953441; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05953441.

  View details for DOI 10.2196/47748

  View details for PubMedID 37494112

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10413090

• Artificial intelligence in virtual reality simulation for interprofessional communication training: Mixed method study. Nurse education today Liaw, S. Y., Tan, J. Z., Lim, S., Zhou, W., Yap, J., Ratan, R., Ooi, S. L., Wong, S. J., Seah, B., Chua, W. L. 2023; 122: 105718

  Abstract

  Virtual reality simulations are shown to be an effective approach for interprofessional nurse-physician communication training. However, its scalability is constrained by unequal medical-nursing cohort size, rendering a great challenge for all nursing students to form an interprofessional team with medical students. With the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), an AI medical team player can be integrated into virtual reality simulations for more nursing students to engage in interprofessional team training.To describe the development of a novel AI-enabled virtual reality simulation (AI-enabled VRS) and to evaluate nursing students' competencies and experiences in communicating with an AI medical doctor.A mixed-methods design using a one-group pretest-posttest design and focus group discussions were employed in the evaluation phase. Nursing students from a university were recruited to undertake the 2-hour AI-enabled VRS. Pre-test and post-tests were administered to evaluate the participants' communication knowledge and self-efficacy. Survey questionnaires were administered to examine their experiences with the virtual reality environment and the AI doctor. Five focus group discussions were conducted to gain deeper insight into their learning experiences.The participants demonstrated significant improvements in communication knowledge and interprofessional communication self-efficacy after the learning. They reported positively on the acceptability, feasibility and usability of the AI-enabled VRS. The subscale of "human-like" feature of the AI medical doctor was rated the lowest. Three themes surrounding participants' experiences of the virtual learning emerged: "relate to the real world", "artificial intelligence versus human intelligence" and "complement with face-to-face learning".This study demonstrates initial evidence on the potential of AI-enabled VRS in fostering nursing students' learning on interprofessional communication skills. The findings have also provided insights on how to improve the AI-enabled VRS, in particular, the expressiveness of the AI pedagogical agent and facilitating more dialogue trainings with learner-agent conversations.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.nedt.2023.105718

  View details for PubMedID 36669304

• Sexual Experiences and Beliefs Vary by Patterns of Pornography Genre Preferences Among Women. Journal of sex & marital therapy Maas, M. K., Slaker, J., Holt, K., Ratan, R. A., Cary, K. M., Greer, K. M. 2023; 49 (6): 659-672

  Abstract

  Pornography use is multidimensional, yet most studies of the topic use variable-oriented methods (e.g., frequency of use) that reduce the experience to a single dimension. In this study, we sought to identify different multidimensional patterns of pornography genre preferences among a sample of women (n = 206) and examine how those patterns are differentially associated with sexual experiences and beliefs examined in previous literature. Latent Class Analysis uncovered four patterns (or classes): Heterogeneous (39%), Traditionally Feminine (27%), Female Pleasure (23%) and Rough/violent (11%). Class membership was differentially predicted by prior sexual victimization, sexual esteem, and diverse sexual experiences while controlling for frequency of use. These findings suggest that genre preference could account for much of the mixed findings of prior work that measured pornography use with unidimensional approaches.

  View details for DOI 10.1080/0092623X.2023.2174225

  View details for PubMedID 36744624

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10404303

• Virtual Reality Versus Flatscreen Pornography: Correlations and Effects on Relationship Satisfaction, Rape-Myth Acceptance, and Problematic Use PRESENCE-VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY Mitchell, K. M., Ratan, R., Maas, M. K., Holt, K., Slaker, J. S., Gambino, A. 2022; 31: 307-325

  View details for DOI 10.1162/pres_a_00399

  View details for Web of Science ID 001126384800001

• A New Meta-Analysis of the Proteus Effect: Studies in VR Find Stronger Effect Sizes PRESENCE-VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY Beyea, D., Ratan, R., Lei, Y., Liu, H., Hales, G. E., Lim, C. 2022; 31: 189-202

  View details for DOI 10.1162/pres_a_00392

  View details for Web of Science ID 001091855400001

• Avatar customization orientation and undergraduate-course outcomes: Actual-self avatars are better than ideal-self and future-self avatars COMPUTERS & EDUCATION Ratan, R., Klein, M. S., Ucha, C. R., Cherchiglia, L. L. 2022; 191

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104643

  View details for Web of Science ID 000890451800003

• How do social presence and active learning in synchronous and asynchronous online classes relate to students' perceived course gains? COMPUTERS & EDUCATION Ratan, R., Ucha, C., Lei, Y., Lim, C., Triwibowo, W., Yelon, S., Sheahan, A., Lamb, B., Deni, B., Chen, V. 2022; 191

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104621

  View details for Web of Science ID 000859570300004

• Beyond Genre: Classifying Virtual Reality Experiences IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GAMES Foxman, M., Beyea, D., Leith, A., Ratan, R. A., Chen, V., Klebig, B. 2022; 14 (3): 466-477

  View details for DOI 10.1109/TG.2021.3119521

  View details for Web of Science ID 000853840900016

• Gender, Gaming Motives, and Genre: Comparing Singaporean, German, and American Players IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GAMES Ratan, R., Chen, V., De Grove, F., Breuer, J., Quandt, T., Williams, P. 2022; 14 (3): 456-465

  View details for DOI 10.1109/TG.2021.3116077

  View details for Web of Science ID 000853840900015

• Jogging in Your Avatar's Footsteps: The Effects of Avatar Customization and Control Intuitiveness FRONTIERS IN VIRTUAL REALITY Rheu, M. J., Ratan, R., Sah, Y., Cherchiglia, L., Day, T. 2022; 3

  View details for DOI 10.3389/frvir.2022.873689

  View details for Web of Science ID 001019126900001

• Balancing learning and enjoyment in serious games: Kerbal Space Program and the communication mediation model COMPUTERS & EDUCATION Rosenthal, S., Ratan, R. A. 2022; 182

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104480

  View details for Web of Science ID 000793255300002

• Audio Maters Too: How Audial Avatar Customization Enhances Visual Avatar Customization Kao, D., Ratan, R., Mousas, C., Joshi, A., Melcer, E. F., ACM ASSOC COMPUTING MACHINERY. 2022

  View details for DOI 10.1145/3491102.3501848

  View details for Web of Science ID 000890212500031

• Facial Appearance Dissatisfaction Explains Differences in Zoom Fatigue. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking Ratan, R., Miller, D. B., Bailenson, J. N. 2021

  Abstract

  Viewing self-video during videoconferences potentially causes negative self-focused attention that contributes to virtual meeting (VM) or "Zoom" fatigue. The present research examines this proposition, focusing on facial dissatisfaction-feeling unhappy about one's own facial appearance-as a potential psychological mechanism of VM fatigue. A study of survey responses from a panel of 613 adults found that VM fatigue was 14.9 percent higher for women than for men, and 11.1 percent higher for Asian than for White participants. These gender and race/ethnicity differences were found to be mediated by facial dissatisfaction. This study replicates earlier VM fatigue research, extends the theoretical understanding of facial dissatisfaction as a psychological mechanism of VM fatigue, and suggests that practical approaches to mitigating VM fatigue could include implementing technological features that reduce self-focused attention during VMs (e.g., employing avatars).

  View details for DOI 10.1089/cyber.2021.0112

  View details for PubMedID 34842445

• Reality Stems From Modality: Stereotype Threat Effects of a STEM Game in Augmented and Virtual Reality FRONTIERS IN VIRTUAL REALITY Ratan, R., Boumis, J. K., Kuang, S., Gambino, A., Huang, K. 2021; 2

  View details for DOI 10.3389/frvir.2021.636643

  View details for Web of Science ID 001021730500001

• Avatar-User Bond as Meta-Cognitive Experience: Explicating Identification and Embodiment as Cognitive Fluency. Frontiers in psychology Sah, Y. J., Rheu, M., Ratan, R. 2021; 12: 695358

  Abstract

  Scholars have not reached an agreement on a theoretical foundation that underlies the psychological effects of avatar use on users. One group of scholars focuses on the perceptual nature of avatar use, proposing that perceiving the self-being represented by a virtual representation leads to the effects (i.e., Proteus effect). Another group suggests that social traits in avatars prime users causing them to behave in accordance with the social traits (i.e., priming effects). We combine these two theoretical explanations and present an alternative approach, hinging on a concept of meta-cognitive experience. The psychological mechanism of the avatar-user bond is explicated in terms of cognitive fluency, a type of meta-cognitive experience reflecting an awareness of how readily or easily information is processed. Under this explication, two concepts related to avatar-user bond, identification and embodiment, are understood as the meta-cognitive experience of cognitive fluency at the level of one's identity and physical body, respectively. Existing empirical evidence on avatar effects is revisited to explore how this new theoretical framework can be applied.

  View details for DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695358

  View details for PubMedID 34305752

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8295602

• Virtual game Changers: how avatars and virtual coaches influence exergame outcomes through enactive and vicarious learning BEHAVIOUR & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Li, B. J., Ratan, R., Lwin, M. O. 2022; 41 (7): 1529-1543

  View details for DOI 10.1080/0144929X.2021.1884290

  View details for Web of Science ID 000617225600001

• Using Video Games to Help Visualize and Teach Microbiological Concepts Gogonis, A. R., Ratan, R., ACM ASSOC COMPUTING MACHINERY. 2021: 264-266

  View details for DOI 10.1145/3452918.3468027

  View details for Web of Science ID 001117065300033

• The (digital) medium of mobility is the message: Examining the influence of e-scooter mobile app perceptions on e-scooter use intent COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR REPORTS Ratan, R., Earle, K., Rosenthal, S., Chen, V., Gambino, A., Goggin, G., Stevens, H., Li, B., Lee, K. 2021; 3

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100076

  View details for Web of Science ID 001026249700011

• Viral vitriol: Predictors and contagion of online toxicity in World of Tanks COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR Shen, C., Sun, Q., Kim, T., Wolff, G., Ratan, R., Williams, D. 2020; 108

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106343

  View details for Web of Science ID 000525794200031

• Men Do Not Rule the World of Tanks: Negating the Gender-Performance Gap in a Spatial-Action Game by Controlling for Time Played AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST Ratan, R., Shen, C., Williams, D. 2020; 64 (7): 1031-1043

  View details for DOI 10.1177/0002764220919147

  View details for Web of Science ID 000537192000001

• Stereotype Threat in a Video Game Context and Its Influence on Perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Avatar-Induced Active Self-Concept as a Possible Mitigator AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST Fordham, J., Ratan, R., Huang, K., Silva, K. 2020; 64 (7): 900-926

  View details for DOI 10.1177/0002764220919148

  View details for Web of Science ID 000537178600001

• The Effects of Gender Role Stereotypes in Digital Learning Games on Motivation for STEM Achievement JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY Hawkins, I., Ratan, R., Blair, D., Fordham, J. 2019; 28 (6): 628-637

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s10956-019-09792-w

  View details for Web of Science ID 000501074700004

• Sentimental Avatars: Gender Identification and Vehicles of Selfhood in Popular Media From Nineteenth-Century Novels to Modern Video Games GAMES AND CULTURE Mendelman, L., Ratan, R. A., Fordham, J., Knittel, M., Milik, O. 2021; 16 (2): 160-186

  View details for DOI 10.1177/1555412019879812

  View details for Web of Science ID 000492474600001

• Using a computer game to teach circuit concepts EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS Kortemeyer, G., Anderson, D., Desrochers, A., Hackbardt, A., Hoekstra, K., Holt, A., Iftekhar, A., Kabaker, T., Keller, N., Korzecke, Z., Gogonis, A., Manson, Q., McNeill, G., Mookerjee, D., Nguyen, S., Person, B., Stafford, M., Takamoribraganca, L., Yu, Z., Zeng, F., Ratan, R. 2019; 40 (5)

  View details for DOI 10.1088/1361-6404/ab2a1d

  View details for Web of Science ID 000482008900001

• Avatar characteristics induce users' behavioral conformity with small-to-medium effect sizes: a meta-analysis of the proteus effect MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY Ratan, R., Beyea, D., Li, B. J., Graciano, L. 2020; 23 (5): 651-675

  View details for DOI 10.1080/15213269.2019.1623698

  View details for Web of Science ID 000478161700001

• Women Keep it Real: Avatar Gender Choice in League of Legends. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking Ratan, R. A., Fordham, J. A., Leith, A. P., Williams, D. 2019; 22 (4): 254-257

  Abstract

  This article examines avatar gender choice within a competitive context in which avatar gender is not equivalent across functions. In data from the game League of Legends (n = 15,392) reflecting >5 million avatar gender choices, women were found to have stronger preferences for avatar gender consistency than men. Furthermore, women tended to choose female avatars at twice the available rate offered by the game, whereas men chose male avatars at a rate approximately the same as the proportion offered. These findings support the argument that women experience more pressure than men do to perform their gender identities overtly, even in competitive games where avatar choice is mostly functional and avatar gender is fixed within specific characters. A practical implication is that by offering a wider range of female avatar and character options, game designers could likely attract greater female audiences without a significant loss of male players.

  View details for DOI 10.1089/cyber.2018.0302

  View details for PubMedID 30848667

• The Voice Makes the Car: Enhancing Autonomous Vehicle Perceptions and Adoption Intention through Voice Agent Gender and Style MULTIMODAL TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERACTION Lee, S., Ratan, R., Park, T. 2019; 3 (1)

  View details for DOI 10.3390/mti3010020

  View details for Web of Science ID 000623566400019

• Augmented Versus Virtual Reality in Education: An Exploratory Study Examining Science Knowledge Retention When Using Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Mobile Applications. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking Huang, K. T., Ball, C., Francis, J., Ratan, R., Boumis, J., Fordham, J. 2019; 22 (2): 105-110

  Abstract

  The propagation of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications that leverage smartphone technology has increased along with the ubiquity of smartphone adoption. Although AR and VR technologies have been widely utilized in the educational domain, there remains a dearth of empirical research examining the differences in educational impact across AR and VR technologies. The purpose of our exploratory study was to address this gap in the literature by comparing AR and VR technologies with regard to their impact on learning outcomes, such as retention of science information. Specifically, we use a two-condition (AR vs. VR) between-subjects' design to test college students' science-knowledge retention in response to both auditory and visual information presented on a Samsung S4 smartphone app. Our results (N = 109) suggest that VR is more immersive and engaging through the mechanism of spatial presence. However, AR seems to be a more effective medium for conveying auditory information through the pathway of spatial presence, possibly because of increased cognitive demands associated with immersive experiences. Thus, an important implication for design is that educational content should be integrated into visual modalities when the experience will be consumed in VR, but into auditory modalities when it will be consumed in AR.

  View details for DOI 10.1089/cyber.2018.0150

  View details for PubMedID 30657334

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6389766

• The effect of behavioral synchrony with black or white virtual agents on outgroup trust COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR Tamborini, R., Novotny, E., Prabhu, S., Hofer, M., Grall, C., Klebig, B., Hahn, L. S., Slaker, J., Ratan, R. A., Bente, G. 2018; 83: 176-183

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chb.2018.01.037

  View details for Web of Science ID 000428828100016

• Playing by the Rules: Parental Mediation of Video Game Play JOURNAL OF FAMILY ISSUES Martins, N., Matthews, N. L., Ratan, R. A. 2017; 38 (9): 1215-1238

  View details for DOI 10.1177/0192513X15613822

  View details for Web of Science ID 000400739200002

• Are You What Your Avatar Eats? Health-Behavior Effects of Avatar-Manifested Self-Concept MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY Sah, Y., Ratan, R., Tsai, H., Peng, W., Sarinopoulos, I. 2017; 20 (4): 632-657

  View details for DOI 10.1080/15213269.2016.1234397

  View details for Web of Science ID 000416637500005

• Validating the Digital Games Motivation Scale for Comparative Research Between Countries COMMUNICATION RESEARCH REPORTS De Grove, F., Breuer, J., Chen, V., Quandt, T., Ratan, R., Van Looy, J. 2017; 34 (1): 37-47

  View details for DOI 10.1080/08824096.2016.1250070

  View details for Web of Science ID 000410087500005

• When Mii Is Me: A Psychophysiological Examination of Avatar Self-Relevance COMMUNICATION RESEARCH Ratan, R. A., Dawson, M. 2016; 43 (8): 1065-1093

  View details for DOI 10.1177/0093650215570652

  View details for Web of Science ID 000388702300003

• The (De-)evolution of Evolution Games: A Content Analysis of the Representation of Evolution Through Natural Selection in Digital Games JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY Leith, A. P., Ratan, R. A., Wohn, D. 2016; 25 (4): 655-664

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s10956-016-9620-x

  View details for Web of Science ID 000379698000011

• Do Men Advance Faster Than Women? Debunking the Gender Performance Gap in Two Massively Multiplayer Online Games JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION Shen, C., Ratan, R., Cai, Y., Leavitt, A. 2016; 21 (4): 312-329

  View details for DOI 10.1111/jcc4.12159

  View details for Web of Science ID 000380721700004

• Stand by Your Man: An Examination of Gender Disparity in <i>League of Legends</i> GAMES AND CULTURE Ratan, R. A., Taylor, N., Hogan, J., Kennedy, T., Williams, D. 2015; 10 (5): 438-462

  View details for DOI 10.1177/1555412014567228

  View details for Web of Science ID 000359089300002

• Leveling up on stereotype threat: The role of avatar customization and avatar embodiment COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR Ratan, R., Sah, Y. 2015; 50: 367-374

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.010

  View details for Web of Science ID 000356549400036

• Dude, where's my avacar? A mixed-method examination of communication in the driving context PERVASIVE AND MOBILE COMPUTING Ratan, R., Tsai, H. 2014; 14: 112-128

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pmcj.2014.05.011

  View details for Web of Science ID 000342049700011

• Why We Distort in Self-Report: Predictors of Self-Report Errors in Video Game Play JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION Kahn, A. S., Ratan, R., Williams, D. 2014; 19 (4): 1010-1023

  View details for DOI 10.1111/jcc4.12056

  View details for Web of Science ID 000339497800017

• Pink and Blue Pixel$: Gender and Economic Disparity in Two Massive Online Games INFORMATION SOCIETY Lehdonvirta, V., Ratan, R. A., Kennedy, T. M., Williams, D. 2014; 30 (4): 243-255

  View details for DOI 10.1080/01972243.2014.915277

  View details for Web of Science ID 000340092800001

• Virtual muscularity: a content analysis of male video game characters. Body image Martins, N., Williams, D. C., Ratan, R. A., Harrison, K. 2011; 8 (1): 43-51

  Abstract

  The 150 top-selling video games were content analyzed to study representations of male bodies. Human males in the games were captured via screenshot and body parts measured. These measurements were then compared to anthropometric data drawn from a representative sample of 1120 North American men. Characters at high levels of photorealism were larger than the average American male, but these characters did not mirror the V-shaped ideal found in mainstream media. Characters at low levels of photorealism were also larger than the average American male, but these characters were so much larger that they appeared cartoonish. Idealized male characters were more likely to be found in games for children than in games for adults. Implications for cultivation theory are discussed.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.10.002

  View details for PubMedID 21093394

• Schmoozing and Smiting: Trust, Social Institutions, and Communication Patterns in an MMOG JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION Ratan, R. A., Chung, J., Shen, C., Williams, D., Poole, M. 2010; 16 (1)

  View details for DOI 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2010.01534.x

  View details for Web of Science ID 000283710900005

• A Content Analysis of Female Body Imagery in Video Games SEX ROLES Martins, N., Williams, D. C., Harrison, K., Ratan, R. A. 2009; 61 (11-12): 824-836

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s11199-009-9682-9

  View details for Web of Science ID 000271751900008

• As real as real? Macroeconomic behavior in a large-scale virtual world NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY Castronova, E., Williams, D., Shen, C., Ratan, R., Xiong, L., Huang, Y., Keegan, B. 2009; 11 (5): 685-707

  View details for DOI 10.1177/1461444809105346

  View details for Web of Science ID 000268128500002