Virtual Meetings & Play at Work

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Research theme

Research from an NSF-funded project on virtual meeting support for game developers: videoconferencing fatigue, avatars, and designing play into meetings.

Publications

  • Bouzek, D., Foxman, M., Lim, C., & Leith, A. P. (2025). Balancing Fun and Professionalism in Game Development: The Dark and Light Side of Play in Virtual Meetings. Frontiers in Communication 10. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Lim, C., Ratan, R., Pandita, S., Foxman, M., Hales, G. E., Liu, H., Lei, S. K., & Beyea, D. (2025). Openness to the Metaverse Workplace: Zoom Fatigue and Metaverse Information Seeking Mediate Gender Inequities. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Lim, C., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R., Foxman, M., & Bouzek, D. (2025). Meeting Needs: How Social Interaction Anxiety, Zoom Fatigue, Relatedness, and Demographics Predict Virtual Meeting Feature Preferences. Computers in Human Behavior Reports. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Lim, C., Ratan, R., Foxman, M., Beyea, D., Jeong, D., & Leith, A. P. (2025). Examining attitudes about the virtual workplace: Associations between zoom fatigue, impression management, and virtual meeting adoption intent. PLOS ONE 20(2): e0312354. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Beyea, D., Lim, C., Lover, A., Foxman, M., Ratan, R, & Leith, A. (2025). Zoom fatigue in review: A meta-analytical examination of videoconferencing fatigue’s antecedents. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 17. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Lim, C., Ratan, R., Foxman, M., Meshi, D., Liu, H., Hales, G., & Lei, Y. (2024). An Avatar’s Worth: Valuation of avatar customization for the metaverse workplace is predicted by virtual meeting fatigue, gaming habits, and being a woman or person of color. Computers in Human Behavior, 158. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Pimentel, D., Foxman, M., Davis, D. Z., & Markowitz, D. M. (2021). Virtually real, but not quite there: Social and economic barriers to meeting Virtual Reality’s true potential for mental health. Frontiers in Virtual Reality. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Lim, C., Beyea, D., Leith, A., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Klebig, B. (2025). The Hyperpersonal Model of Communication in Virtual Meetings: Exploring the Roles of Fatigue, Social Interaction Anxiety, Muting, and Avatar Use in Meeting Engagement. Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Milik, O. T., Jang, D., Foxman, M., Klebig, B., Beyea, D., Leith, A. P., & Ratan, R. A. (2025). Focusing on Virtual Groups: A Method for Focus Group Interviews in XR/VR Group Settings. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Milik, O., Foxman, M., Jang, D., Lin, Q., Waier, J., Zheng, A., Bouzek, D., Klebig, B., Leith, A., Beyea, D., & Ratan, R. (2024). “Beyond Meet Space: Running a Focus Group Study in VR.” Meaningful Play 2024 Conference Proceedings. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Langston, K., Saqib, B., McDonald, W., Zheng, A., Lerner, K., Lover, A., Winn, B., Leith, A., Foxman, M., & Ratan, R. (2024). Designing a Nondisruptive Game Mechanic for Meetings in Virtual Reality. Meaningful Play 2024 Conference Proceedings. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Lim, C., Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Meshi, D., & Ratan R. A. (2024). “Wanting Playfulness to Counter Fatigue from Virtual Meetings: Associations with Social Interaction Anxiety and Workaholism.” Abstract Proceedings of DiGRA 2024 Conference: Playgrounds. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M., Bouzek, D., Lim, C., Ratan, R. A., Klebig, B., Leith, A. P., & Beyea, D. (2024). Making a Virtual Playground: Values-Based Game Design in Meeting Platforms. Abstract Proceedings of DiGRA 2024 Conference: Playgrounds. Read → (opens in a new tab)

Talks and presentations

Show 11 talks
  • Milik, O., Foxman, M., Chen V. H. H., Pandita, S., Leith, A. P., & Ratan, R. (June, 2025). Looking Beyond Meet Space: Presenting a Research Platform in VRChat. Presented at the 75th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Denver.
  • Foxman, M., Bouzek, D., Lim, C., & Leith, A. (2024, June). “Playing from Home: Identity, Cohesion, and Communication for Remote Game Makers.” Presented at the 74th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Gold Coast.
  • Beyea, D., Lim, C., Lover, A., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Leith, A. (2024, June). “Zoom Fatigue? A Meta-Analytical Examination of Research on the Antecedents of Videoconferencing Fatigue.” Presented at the 74th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Gold Coast.
  • Lim, C., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., Beyea, D., Jeong, D., & Leith, A. (2024, June). “Touch-Up My Zoom Fatigue: Positive Attitudes about Online Meeting Platforms are Negatively Associated with Virtual Meeting Fatigue and Positively Associated with Using Impression Management Features.” Presented at the 74th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Gold Coast.
  • Lim, C., Ratan, R., Foxman, M., Meshi, D., Liu, H., Hales, G., & Lei, Y. (2024. June). “An Avatar’s Worth: Valuation of Avatar Customization for the Metaverse Workplace is Predicted by Virtual Meeting Fatigue, Gaming Habits and Being a Woman or Person of Color.” Presented at the 74th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Gold Coast.
  • Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Lim, C. (2023, May). “Feelings for Meetings: A Sentiment Analysis of Videoconferencing Platforms a Year Apart.” Presented at the 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference, Toronto.
  • Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Onuche, M., & Bouzek, D. (2023, May). “Diffusion of Gratification: The Reception of VR as a Modality for Remote Work and Meetings.” Presented at the 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference, Toronto.
  • Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R., Bouzek, D., Lim, C., & Beyea D. G. (2023, May). “Playfully Virtual: Finding Authentic Communication in Videoconferencing and Online Meetings.” Presented at the 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference, Toronto.
  • Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Sulzdorf-Liszkiewicz, A., Beyea, D., Klebig, B., Graciano, D., & Ratan, R. (2022, October). “Playing at Work: Finding and Designing Play into Virtual Meetings.” Presented at Meaningful Play 2022, East Lansing.
  • Foxman, M. (2025, November). “Thinking about Synthetic Reality: Considering Game’s Influence on Immersive Media.” iCAN Fall Meeting, Portland.
  • Foxman, M. (2019, October). “Intro to Esports.” From Boomers to Zoomers, Eugene.