Guest Professor Rabindra Ratan visits the RTG

In July, the Research Training Group “The Experience of Stories in the Digital Age” welcomed Professor Rabindra Ratan from Michigan State University to Würzburg. During his visit, Professor Ratan engaged with members of the Research Training Group and shared insights from his research on human-technology interaction and digital media. 

A highlight of his visit was his guest workshop “The Proteus Effect Today”, The half-day workshop provided an opportunity for the doctoral researchers and other participants to explore current perspectives on the Proteus effect – the phenomenon whereby the characteristics of a user’s avatar can influence the user’s behaviour and attitudes. 

The workshop addressed the continuing relevance of the Proteus effect in today’s rapidly evolving digital media landscape and offered space for discussion and exchange on avatars, virtual environments, and the psychological and social effects of emerging technologies. These topics closely connect to the interdisciplinary research of the Research Training Group.

Rabindra Ratan is Professor and AT&T Endowed Chair in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University and Director of the Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab.  

His research examines the social and psychological effects of human-technology interaction, with a particular focus on media technologies like XR/VR/AR/MR, avatars, video games, agents/AI.  He investigates how these technologies affect outcomes such as well-being, motivation, and equity across societal contexts including education, health, and industry. 

His research interests include the Proteus effect, human-AI interaction, gender stereotypes in gaming, and virtual meetings. Since 2022, he has also been teaching his courses at the Michigan State University entirely in virtual reality. 

Professor Ratan’s visit offered valuable opportunities for an interdisciplinary exchange and discussion and provided new perspectives on research topics at the intersection of digital media, technology, and human experience. 

Prof. Ratan with PhD students visiting the Summer Expo 2026 (Picture: private)

Prof. Ratan (left) with PhD students, Prof. Latoschik (middle) and Prof. Appel (right). (Picture: private)