"Mindful Adventure" is an immersive gaming experience that emerged from my personal passion for game development and my desire to promote mindfulness, emotional regulation, and overall wellbeing.
This transformative journey takes players on a profound exploration of self-discovery and personal growth.
Within this serene world brimming with the beauty of nature, players embark on a progression from 'Novice of Zen' to 'Zen Master' by conquering challenges that require mindfulness and embracing the valuable lessons life presents.
Through this research project, my aim is to delve into the impact of "Mindful Adventure" on players' personal growth and mindfulness practices.
By examining the game's distinctive features and analyzing players' experiences, I seek to uncover valuable insights into the potential benefits of integrating video games and mindfulness techniques.
Ultimately, the goal is to contribute to the fostering of wellbeing and the promotion of emotional regulation, mindfulness, and overall wellbeing among individuals.
Tools: Unity, C#, PixelArt, HTML, CSS, R
As the Lead Researcher, Project Manager, and Programmer for the AI Chatbot & Wellness, I played a central role in the design, development, and programming of an AI chatbot with a strong emphasis on data-driven wellness promotion.
Initially, I focused on conceptualizing and designing the chatbot's interface, ensuring it was intuitive and user-friendly while seamlessly integrating
with its capabilities. Once the design phase was complete, I turned my attention to writing the back-end code to ensure the chatbot operated smoothly
and efficiently. This comprehensive involvement, from design to code implementation, was instrumental in achieving our primary goal: delivering personalized
mental health interventions tailored to users' selected value domains during training sessions. Subsequently, I conducted in-depth data analysis to
uncover valuable trends and patterns within user data, leveraging these insights to shape our product roadmap and guide continuous improvement efforts.
Simultaneously, I led extensive user experience studies, expertly combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Through structured user interviews,
I identified areas for enhancing the user experience and effectively translated data-driven recommendations into actionable changes, leading to a noticeable
increase in user engagement. Additionally, I conducted content and sentiment analysis, alongside clustering techniques, to uncover hidden patterns in
user feedback, facilitating data-driven decision-making. My comprehensive involvement throughout the entire process, from design to data analysis, was
instrumental in achieving substantial enhancements in user wellbeing compared to alternative survey platforms.
Tools:
Python, R, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SpeechAI, Firebase, Jupyter Notebook, Qualtrics, Tableau
As the Programmer and UX Researcher for the Gameplay & Automation project, I led a project focused on investigating users' subjective experiences with automated and manual processes.
Using Python, JavaScript, HTML, and Firebase, I designed an interactive system featuring a dino-bot completing tasks for users.
To ensure engagement, I included auto-prompt features that alerted users to pay attention to the screen.
The project will be published in the winter to collect data and I will analyze and build user profiles based on
their demographic and personality characteristics. In this project, I developed skills in front-end web development,
data management, analysis and visualization, user experience research, design, and testing, and project management and leadership.
Tools: Python, JavaScript, HTML, Firebase, R
As the Project Lead for the Mindfulness & Wellbeing App at UofT, I designed and led the development of a
mindfulness and wellbeing app, utilizing user-centered design principles and conducting ongoing usability tests to
improve app features and user experience. I utilized advanced statistical methodologies in R to analyze data from
multilevel user studies, providing insights into user behavior and preferences and informing product development decisions.
Additionally, I conducted sentiment and content analyses on open-ended survey responses to evaluate the impact of the
app on user wellbeing and mental health. Through rigorous data analysis and reporting, I successfully achieved a high
user retention rate (87%) and demonstrated improved mental health and regulation skills among a sample size of 600 users.
In this project, I developed skills in user-centered design, qualitative analysis, data analysis and reporting, and communication.
This study was
published in the Journal of Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, and presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) 2022 Conference and
the American Psychological Association (APA) 2021 Conference.
Tools: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, React, Firebase, Python, R, Qualtrics
Self-Control & Decision Making
As the lead researcher for the Self-Control & Decision Making project, I designed and conducted an online
survey using Qualtrics to study the impact of short-term versus long-term financial decision-making patterns across different
income levels and ethnic backgrounds. The study aimed to provide insights into financial decision-making behaviors and their
consequences, particularly for individuals with lower incomes and minority groups.
I worked closely with a team of researchers to collect and analyze the survey data, which included implementing statistical analysis to identify key findings and trends.
I also developed a detailed report summarizing the study results, which was presented at the CalABA 2020 Conference.
Through this project, I gained valuable skills in survey design and analysis, data collection and management, statistical analysis, and report writing.
User Behavior Assessment
As a lead researcher for the User Behavior Assessment study, I designed an online study using JavaScript, jsPsych, and Firebase to collect
data on video game players. To gain a deeper understanding of the antecedents and consequences of user behaviors, I conducted both qualitative
and quantitative data analyses using Python. The project was presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABAI) 2020 Conference,
where I had the opportunity to showcase my findings and discuss my research with other professionals in the field.
Through this experience, I honed my skills in project management, research design, and data analysis, while also gaining valuable experience
in presenting research findings to diverse audiences.
Multilingual Mindfulness Training & Physical Activity
As the Lead Researcher for the Multilingual Mindfulness Training & Exercise project at USC, I interviewed participants to develop
personalized exercise plans and collected daily quantitative data (e.g., number of steps, gym visits) and weekly qualitative data
(e.g., individual preferences, goal setting) to track progress and improve user profiles. Using tools such as user experience design,
interviews, and R programming, I helped 85% of participants increase their daily steps and improve their overall fitness. Additionally,
I achieved a 100% increase in the frequency and duration of gym visits. The project used evidence-based mindfulness materials and the
online survey platform Qualtrics.
This study was orally presented and
published in the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science.
