In
Spring 2019, I was selected for undergraduate funding, and I conducted an
exploratory study about the factors associated with student game development
team success. Students in team projects were asked to fill out surveys at three
different points of the game development process. This project was founded on
the idea of finding creative ways to take a multi-disciplinary approach that
blend the fields of psychology and computer game design in an academic setting.
An interesting finding was the progression of skill confidence between the
beginning, middle, and end of team projects. The continuing research this
semester is an investigation into the relationship between experience,
confidence, and expectations of obtaining a job upon graduation. The biggest
difference between this study and similar studies is that the participants are
undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni from 4-year game design programs
within the past 5 years.
As
a game producer and psychology researcher, I want to find creative ways to
engage others and motivate them towards achieving higher levels of success.
Through this study, I am gaining insight on how game design students view their
skills before and after graduation in a cross-sectional study. I will use this
knowledge to contribute to the game design program here at the university and continue
to enhance my experience in working with others through organizational
leadership.
Every
Week, I communicate with my mentor, Dr. Seth Hudson. I am also working with the
professors in the game design program and recent graduates to gather responses
to the survey. Upon receiving the responses, I analyze and write-up the data
for publication. This semester, I have become better acquainted with research
methodology and publishing findings. I have also become familiar with the
process of applying to conferences. I would like to thank Dr. Seth Hudson, the
Computer Game Design program, and OSCAR for their continued support throughout
my studies.
