Toxicity in Video Games (feat. Dr. Rachel Kowert)

SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan

In the inaugural episode of the SPARTIE-Cast, Dr. Rabindra Ratan speaks with guest, Dr. Rachel Kowert, about the origins and toxic behaviors in gaming communities: harassment, bullying and gatekeeping, among others. They discuss the social and political ramifications of such behaviors, as well as potential remedies that could be pursued through industry partnerships, STEM initiatives and future research.

About this week's guest:
Dr. Rachel Kowert is a psychologist, author, and consultant who has studied emerging media for more than 15 years, with her research largely focusing on the potential positive and negative social impact of mediated communication at the individual level. Currently, Dr. Kowert is studying the social impact of online games with a focus on social benefits and comparisons, as well as the origin of any social differences between online game players and offline/non-players.

She is currently the research director for Take This, a non-profit organization that provides mental health resources and information to gaming communities and the video game industry. Dr. Kowert also serves as the Chief Scientific Officer of Kitsune Analytics, a full-service research consulting and analysis firm. She is an accomplished author who earned awards for her work, including an INDIES award in Science for “A Parents Guide to Video Games."

A mother of two, Dr. Kowert currently resides in Ontario, Canada. More information on her work can be found on her website.

About the SPARTIE Lab:
The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influences meaningful outcomes (e.g., education, health/safety, persuasion).

The SPARTIE Lab is part of the greater academic community at the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University. More information on the lab's research projects, staff, and work can be found on the SPARTIE Lab website.

About the host:
Dr. Rabindra (Robby) Ratan, Ph. D., is an Associate Professor and AT&T Scholar at Michigan State University’s Department of Media and Information and is the Director of the 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 Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, his M.A. in Communication from Stanford University, and his B.A. 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, media-rich transportation contexts, perceptions of media as self-representations and/or social others, avatarification for health and education, and gender stereotypes in gaming contexts.

Dr. Ratan lives near Lansing with his family. More information on his work can be found on his website.