P U B L I C A T I O N S

• Ratan, R., Klein, M., Ucha, C., & Cherchiglia, L. (2022). Avatar Customization Orientation and Undergraduate-Course Outcomes: Actual-self avatars are better than ideal-self and future-self avatars. Computers & Education, 191, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104643 

  • "Results of a field experiment (N = 170) in an undergraduate course suggest that, unexpectedly, using an ideal-self or future-self avatar, compared to an actual-self avatar, was associated with slightly lower exam scores and self-efficacy, though no association was found with growth mindset.

• Beyea, D., Ratan, R., Lei, Y., Hales, G., & Lim, C. (2023). A new meta-analysis of the Proteus effect: Studies in VR find stronger effect sizes. PRESENCE: Virtual and Augmented Reality. https://doi.org/10.1162/pres_a_00392 

• Stavropoulos, V., Ratan, R., & Lee, K.M. (2022). Editorial: User-Avatar Bond: Risk and Opportunities in Gaming and Beyond.  Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923146

• Sah, Y.J., Rheu, M., Ratan, R., (2021). Avatar-User Bond as Meta-Cognitive Experience: Explicating Identification and Embodiment as Cognitive Fluency. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695358

• Ratan, R., Beyea, D., Li, B., & Graciano, L. (2020). Avatar Characteristics Induce Users’ Behavioral Conformity with Small-to-Medium Effect Sizes: A Meta-Analysis of the Proteus Effect. Media Psychology. 

• Ratan, R. (2019). When Automobiles Are Avacars: A Self-Other-Utility Approach to Cars and Avatars. International Journal of Communication, 13. 

• Ratan, R. & Dawson, M (2016). When Mii is Me:  A psychophysiological examination of avatar self-relevance. Communication Research, 43(8), 1065-1093. doi: 10.1177/0093650215570652

• Ratan, R. & Tsai, H. S. (2014). Dude, where's my Avacar?  A mixed-method examination of communication in the driving context. Pervasive and Mobile Computing, 14(c), 112-128. doi: 10.1016/j.pmcj.2014.05.011 

• Kao, D., Ratan, R., Mousas, C., Joshi, A., & Melcer, E. (2022). Audio Matters Too: How Audial Avatar Customization Enhances Visual Avatar Customization. Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors (CHI ’22), 1-27. doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3501848. (Honorable Mention Award recipient).

• Ratan, R., Rikard, R. V., Wanek, C., McKinley, M., Johnson, L., & Sah, Y. J. (2016). Introducing Avatarification: An experimental examination of how avatars influence student motivation. In System Sciences (HICSS), 2016 49th Hawaii International Conference on (pp. 51-59). IEEE.

Ratan, R., Ucha, C., Lei, Y., Lim, C., Triwibowo, W., Yelon, S., Sheahan, A., Lamb, B., Deni, D., & Chen, V. H. H. (2022). How do social presence and active learning in synchronous and asynchronous online classes relate to students’ perceived course gains?. Computers & Education, 191, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104621

Huang, K.T., Ball, C., Francis, J., Ratan, R., Boumis, J., & Fordham, J. (2019). 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, 22(2), 105-110. 

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). Using a Computer Game to Teach Circuit Concepts. European Journal of Physics.

Kao, D., Ratan, R., Mousas, C., & Magana, A. J. (2021). The Effects of a Self-Similar Avatar Voice in Educational Games. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, (CHI PLAY), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1145/3474665

Gogonis, A.R., & Ratan, R. (2021, June). Using Video Games to Help Visualize and Teach Microbiological Concepts: A study analyzing the learning implications of a video game in comparison to a traditional method. In ACM International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences (pp. 264-266). https://doi.org/10.1145/3452918.3468027 

Ratan, R., Braiman, S., Makki, T.W., Ucha, C., Fordham, J. (2018). A picture is worth a gagillion words: Enhancing student skills and self-efficacy through a video-based peer review assignment. In Proceedings of the Connected Learning Summit. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Peng, W., Ratan, R., & Khan, L. (2015).  Ebook Uses and Class Performance In A College Course. Proceedings of the 48th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

• • • Li, B., Ratan, R., Lwin, M.O. (2021). Virtual Game Changers: how avatars and virtual coaches influence exergame outcomes through enactive and vicarious learning. Behaviour & Information Technology. doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1884290

• • • Sah, Y.J., Ratan, R., Tsai, H.S., Peng, W., & Sarinopoulos, I. (2016). Are You What Your Avatar Eats? Health-behavior Effects of Avatar-manifested Self-concept. Media Psychology, 20(4), 632-657. doi: 10.1080/15213269.2016.1234397.

• • • Rheu, M. M., Ratan, R., Sah, Y. J., Cherchiglia, L., & Day, T. (2022). Jogging in Your Avatar's Footsteps: The effects of avatar customization and control intuitiveness. Frontiers in Virtual Reality. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2022.873689  

• • • Mitchell, K.M., Ratan, R., Maas, M.K., Holt, K., Slaker, J.S., Gambino, A. (2023). Virtual Reality Versus Flatscreen Pornography: Correlations and Effects on Relationship Satisfaction, Rape-Myth Acceptance, and Problematic Use. PRESENCE: Virtual and Augmented Reality, p 1-19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/pres_a_00399

• • • Ratan, R., Miller, D.B., Bailension, J.N., (2021). Facial Appearance Dissatisfaction Explains Differences in Zoom Fatigue. CyberPsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2021.0112

• • • Ratan, R., Earle, K., Rosenthal, S., Chen, V. H. H., Gambino, A., Goggin, G., Stevens, H., Li, B., & Lee, K. M. (2021). 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. doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100076

• • • Gambino, A., Fox, J., & Ratan, R. (2020). Building a Stronger CASA: Extending the Computers Are Social Actors Paradigm. Human-Machine Communication, 1(1), 5.

• • • Hofer, M., Hartmann, T., Eden, A., Ratan, R., & Hahn, L. (2020). The Role of Plausibility in the Experience of Spatial Presence in Virtual Environments. Frontiers in Virtual Reality.

• • • Lee, S., Ratan, R., & Park, T., (2019). The Voice Makes the Car: Enhancing Autonomous Vehicle Perceptions and Adoption Intention through Voice Agent Gender and Style. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 3(1), 20. doi:10.3390/mti3010020

• • • Tamborini, R., Novotny, E., Prabhu, S., Hofer, M., Bente, G., Grall, C., Klebig, B., Hahn, L., Slaker, J., Ratan, R. (2018). The effect of behavioral synchrony with black or white virtual agents on outgroup trust. Computers in Human Behavior, 83, 176-183.

• • • Meschtscherjakov, A., Tscheligi, M., Szostak, D., Krome, S., Pfleging, B., Ratan, R., Politis, I., Baltodano, S., Miller, D., & Ju, W. (2016, May). HCI and autonomous vehicles: contextual experience informs design. In Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 3542-3549). ACM.

• • • Meschtscherjakov, A., Tscheligi, M., Szostak, D., Ratan, R., McCall, R., Politis, I., & Krome, S. (2015, April). Experiencing autonomous vehicles: crossing the boundaries between a drive and a ride. In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 2413-2416). ACM.

• • Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Beyea, D., Klebig, B., Chen, V. H. H., & Ratan, R. (2020, November). Virtual Reality Genres: Comparing Preferences in Immersive Experiences and Games. In Extended Abstracts of the 2020 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY '20). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY,USA, 237– 241. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/3383668.3419881

• • Kao, D., Mousas, C., Magana, A. J., Harrell, D. F., Ratan, R., Melcer, E. F., Sherrick, B., Parsons, P. & Gusev, D. A. (2020). Hack. VR: A Programming Game in Virtual Reality. arXiv preprint arXiv:2007.04495.

• • Foxman, M., Beyea, D., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R. A., Chen, V. H. H., & Klebig, B. (2022). Beyond Genre: Classifying Virtual Reality Experiences. IEEE Transactions on Games, 14(3), p. 466-477. https://doi.org/10.1109/TG.2021.311952

Rosenthal, S. & Ratan, R. (2022). Balancing learning and enjoyment in serious games: Kerbal Space Program and the communication mediation model. Computers & Education, Article 104480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104480

Ratan, R., Chen, V.H.H., De Grove, F., Breuer, J., Quandt, T. & Williams, R. (2022). Gender, Gaming Motives, and Genre: Comparing Singaporean, German, and American Players. IEEE Transactions on Games, 14(3), p. 456-465. https://doi.org/10.1109/TG.2021.3116077

Shen, C., Sun, Q., Kim, T., Wolff, G., Ratan, R., & Williams, D. (2020). Viral Vitriol: Predictors and Contagion of Online Toxicity in World of Tanks. Computers in Human Behavior, 108. doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106343

Leith, A., Ratan, R., & Wohn, D. Y., (2016). 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, 24(4), 655-664. doi 10.1007/s10956-016-9620-x

Martins, N., Matthews, N. L., & Ratan, R. A. (2015). Playing by the Rules: Parental Mediation of Video Game Play. Journal of Family Issues, 38(9), 1215-1238. doi: 10.1177/0192513X15613822

Kahn, A. S., Shen, C., Lu, L., Ratan, R. A., Coary, S., Hou, J., Meng, J., Osborn, J. C., Williams, D. (2015). The Trojan Player Typology: A cross-genre, cross-cultural, behaviorally validated scale of video game play motivations. Computers in Human Behavior, 49, 354-361. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.03.018

Wohn, D. Y., Ratan, R., & Cherchiglia, L. (2020). Gender and Genre Differences in Multiplayer Gaming Motivations. In Proceedings of HCI International 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark. Springer Lecture Series, Cham.

• • • Wong, S. & Ratan, R. (2023). How Does Exposure to General and Sexual Harassment Relate to Female Gamers’ Coping Strategies and Mental Health? Games & Culture. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120231177600 

• • • Kao, D., Mubarrat, S. T., Joshi, A., Pandita, S., Mousas, C., Liang, H. N., & Ratan, R. (2023). Exploring how gender-anonymous voice avatars influence women’s performance in online computing group work. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 103146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2023.103146

• • • Ratan, R., Boumis, J.K., Kuang, S., Gambino, A., Huang, K-T. (2021). Reality Stems From Modality: Stereotype Threat Effects of a STEM Game in Augmented and Virtual Reality. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.636643

• • • Ratan, R., Shen, C., Williams, D., (2020). 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 64(7), 1031 – 1043. 

• • • Fordham, J., Ratan, R., Huang, K.T., Zhou, W., & Silva., K., (2020). 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.

• • • Ratan, R. & Sah, Y.J. (2015). Leveling Up on Stereotype Threat: The role of avatar customization and avatar embodiment. Computers in Human Behavior, 50, 367-374. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.010 

• • • Mendelman, L., Ratan, R. A., Fordham, J., Knittel, M., & Milik, O. (2019). Sentimental Avatars: Gender Identification and Vehicles of Selfhood in Popular Media From Nineteenth-Century Novels to Modern Video Games. Games and Culture, 1555412019879812.

• • • De Grove, F., Breuer, J., Chen, V.H.H., Quandt, T., Ratan, R., & Van Looy, J. (2016). Validating the Digital Games Motivation Scale for comparative research between countries and sexes. Communication Research Reports, 34(1), 37-47.

• • • Hawkins, I., Ratan, R., Blair, D. et al. The Effects of Gender Role Stereotypes in Digital Learning Games on Motivation for STEM Achievement. J Sci Educ Technol 28, 628–637 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09792-w

• • • Shen, C., Ratan, R., Leavitt, A., & Cai, Y. D. (2016). Do Men Advance Faster Than Women? Debunking the Gender Performance Gap in Two Massively Multiplayer Online Games. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 21(4), 312-329. doi: 10.1111/jcc4.12159. 

• • • Ratan, R., Taylor, N., Hogan, J., Kennedy, T.L.M., & Williams, D. (2015). Stand by your Man: An examination of gender disparity in League of Legends. Games and Culture, 10(5), 438-462. doi: 10.1177/1555412014567228. 

• • • Ratan, R., Fordham, J. Leith, A., & Williams, D. (2019). Women Keep it Real: Avatar Gender Choice in League of Legends. CyberPsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 22(4).