Robert Kraut
- Media Contact
I started my career as a social psychologist, but working in industry for 12 years shifted my focus from disciplines to problems. My research concentrates on the design and social impacts of information technologies in small groups, in the home, and between organizations.
One research strand examines the challenges that groups face in performing social tasks, designs new technology to meet some of these challenges and evaluates the usefulness of the new technology. This cycle of needs-assessment, technological design and evaluation has both scholarly and applied products. For example, research on scientific communication examined the problems scientists must solve to accomplish their work and the technologies that might aid them. Data collection demonstrated the importance that informal communication has in moving scientific work forward and the importance of face-to-face interaction for scientific planning. This research led the construction of an experimental video teleconferencing system for informal interaction and computer software for collaborative writing. Current research is examing how small teams can collaborate at a distance on physical task.
Currently I am working with colleagues to understand the role that nationwide computer networks, such as Minitel in France or the Internet in the United States, might have on the interrelationships among firms. These networks increase the efficiency with which firms can search for or exchange information, but they also shift the type of information that can easily be exchanged, from personal to quantitative. We're examining how these shifts in the cost and quality of communication may influence interfirm loyalties and market relationships.
I am also conducting research on the impact of the Internet on the average US family. This project is a longitudinal field trial called HomeNet. We gave families computers and Internet access and then are carefully assessing how use changes over time and how people's lives incorporate the new media.
I am a Professor of Social Psychology and Human Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University, with joint appointments in the Human Computer Interaction Institute and the Tepper School of Business.
Primary Interests:
- Applied Social Psychology
- Communication, Language
- Group Processes
- Intergroup Relations
- Internet and Virtual Psychology
- Interpersonal Processes
- Organizational Behavior
Research Group or Laboratory:
Note from the Network: The holder of this profile has certified having all necessary rights, licenses, and authorization to post the files listed below. Visitors are welcome to copy or use any files for noncommercial or journalistic purposes provided they credit the profile holder and cite this page as the source.
Image Gallery
Video Gallery
Online Communication and Psychological Well-Being: A Research Journey
Historical View of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute Panel
Books:
- Galegher, J., Kraut, R. E., & Egido, C. (Eds.). (1990). Intellectual teamwork: Social and technological foundations of cooperative work. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Kraut, R. E., Brynin, M., & Kiesler, S. (2006). Computers, phones, and the Internet: Domesticating information technology. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Kraut, R. E. (Ed.). (1987). Technology and the transformation of white collar work. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Journal Articles:
- Bessière, K., Kiesler, S., Kraut, R. E., & Boneva, B. (2008). Effects of Internet use and social resources on changes in depression. Information, Communication & Society, 11(1), 47-70.
- Boneva, B., Kraut, R., & Frohlich, D. (2001). Using e-mail for personal relationships: The difference gender makes. American Behavioral Scientist, 45(3), 530-549.
- Cummings, J. N., & Kraut, R. (2002). Domesticating computers and the Internet. The Information Society, 18(3), 1-18.
- Espinosa, A., Slaughter, S., Kraut, R. E., & Herbsleb, J. (2007). Familiarity, complexity, and team performance in geographically distributed software development. Organization Science, 18(4), 613-630.
- Kittur, A., & Kraut, R. E. (2008). Harnessing the wisdom of crowds in Wikipedia: Quality through coordination. In CSCW'08: Proceedings of the ACM conference on computer-supported cooperative work. New York: ACM Press.
- Kraut, R. E., Olson, J., Banaji, M., Bruckman, A., Cohen, J., & Couper, M. (2004). Psychological research online: Report of Board of Scientific Affairs’ Advisory Group on the Conduct of Research on the Internet. American Psychologist, 59(2), 105-117.
- Kraut, R. E., Rice, R., Cool, C., & Fish, R. (1998). Varieties of social influence: The role of utility and norms in the success of a communication medium. Organizational Science, 9(4), 437-453.
- Kraut, R., Kiesler, S., Boneva, B., Cummings, J. N., Helgeson, V., & Crawford, A. M. (2002). Internet paradox revisited. Journal of Social Issues, 58(1), 49-74.
- Kraut, R., Mukhopadhyay, T., Szczypula, J., Kiesler, S., & Scherlis, B. (1999). Information and communication: Alternative uses of the Internet in households. Information Systems Research Special Issue, 10(4), 287-303.
- Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukophadhyay, T., & Scherlis, W. (1998). Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being? American Psychologist, 53(9), 1017-1031.
- Subrahmanyam, K., Greenfield, P., Kraut, R., & Gross, E. (2001). The impact of computer use on children's and adolescents' development. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 22(1), 7-30.
Other Publications:
Courses Taught:
Robert Kraut
Human Computer Interaction Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
United States of America
- Phone: (412) 268-6672
- Fax: (412) 268-6938
