Rabindra (Robby) Ratan (CV) is an associate professor and AT&T Scholar at Michigan State University’s Department of Media and Information as well as director of the Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab. He is also an affiliated faculty member of the MSU Department of Psychology, the MSU College of Education’s program in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, and the MSU Center for Gender in a Global Context. Ratan received his PhD from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, his MA in Communication from Stanford University, and his BA in Science, Technology and Society, also from Stanford University.
Dr. Ratan conducts research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influence meaningful outcomes (e.g., persuasion, education, health/safety). He is particularly interested in the Proteus effect, the implications of avatars in both gaming and non-gaming (education, health, business) contexts, and the effects of gender stereotypes in gaming on STEM engagement.
