RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

RESEARCH PROJECTS AND PUBLICATIONS

User Experience Research
Duolingo

This project aims to identify the strengths and issues of the Duolingo language learning app and assess how gamification features aid users in learning languages. The project employs heuristic evaluation and usability testing methods to gain insights into expert and novice users' experiences with the app. The heuristic evaluation uses Neilsen's principles to understand user satisfaction and concerns, while usability testing with a think-aloud approach examines the difficulties novice users face. The results of this research will help Duolingo improve the app for better user experience.

User Experience Research
Apple Watch & iOS
Fitness APP

This project focuses on the Fitness application of the Apple Watch and its corresponding iPhone application. Through a qualitative research methodology consisting of observation and interview sessions with participants, this report aims to uncover the frustrations users encounter and the emotions that guide their behaviors when using these applications. The observation sessions provide reliable information about users' actual use experience in certain activity contexts, while the interviews offer insight into users' previous use experiences in other workout contexts and their frustration moments.

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The Effects of Game Learning Efficiency on Cognitive and Emotional Trajectories in Response to Failure Events

Yuki Yuxian Lin, Ines Hyunju Yu, Yuqian (Neil) Ni, McCall A. Booth, Harry Yaojun Yan, Robet F. Potter

Role：First author

This study explores the cognitive and emotional trajectories of Efficient Learning Players versus Casual Learning Players in response to repeated failure events in video games. Using physiological measures such as fEMG and heart rate, the research analyzes how different player types allocate attention and manage affect during trial-and-error stages. Results indicate that efficient learners dampen emotional responses to focus on improvement, while casual learners experience increased negative affect and arousal with accumulated failures.

Exploring the Effects of Interactive Choices on Enjoyment in Interactive Video

Yuxian Lin, James Cummings, Wanchun Liu, Robet F. Potter

Role：First author

The goal of this study is to investigate how different features of interactivity (frequency of choice and morality of choice) will influence the audience's enjoyment of interactive video through and beyond the satisfaction of hedonic needs (arousal and valence) and non-hedonic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) by using The Complex as the stimulus material.

The Impact of Media Multitasking on Actual and Perceived Productivity

Ines Hyunju Yu, Yuxian Lin, John Velez

Role：Second author

This study investigates the impact of using idle video games as a secondary task on both actual and perceived productivity during tedious primary tasks. Drawing on the Affect-as-Information Approach, it examines whether the positive affect from gameplay distorts perceived progress despite potential cognitive costs. The research aims to understand if such multitasking can be beneficial by offering intermittent reprieves to recuperate attention.

Excitation Transfer Effect in Journalism Consumption in Mixed Immersive Environments

Li Zhang, Xinyue Liu, Di Mu, Bochao Sun, and James Cummings

Role: Research assistant

It is the first study examining the impact of immersion on excitation transfer during such transitions and the corresponding impact on message recall in virtual reality and 360° video environment.