Role and Contributions

In the project, I held a multi-faceted role that combined narrative design and user experience research. Specifically, I was involved in crafting puzzles and weaving together narratives and game mechanics within augmented reality games. My responsibilities extended into the realm of UX research, where I was engaged in collecting diverse data points. This included monitoring player interactions on Discord, conducting interviews, gathering survey responses, managing consent forms, and overseeing participant recruitment. Additionally, I conducted thematic analyses on the data collected, providing insights into player experiences and interaction patterns.

Timeline

The project was a three year funded project and multiple sub studies were planned under it. I worked with project from year and half during which we developed and tested three versions. The timeline broke down as follows:

• Initial research and ideation phase: continuosly going on as we building this game
• Game development: 6 months
• Recruitment: 1 month
• Conducting research: 1 month ( it was team game and would run in batches)
• Survey: 1-2 weeks
• Analysis: 2 months
• Report: 3 weeks

ResearchGoal

The primary research question this project aims to answer is: How can video games, particularly ARGs, be utilized to study, influence, and enhance emotion regulation and coping strategies among players? This question emerges from the recognition that emotion regulation and coping strategies are critical to resilience and well-being in daily life. The project seeks to address the challenge of studying these constructs in ecologically valid environments by leveraging video games as a dynamic, customizable, and engaging platform.
The goals of the research project were as follows:

• Investigate the efficacy of inducing established stressors (time pressure, social encounters, and scenarios where players are stuck) in a game environment to simulate real-life stress experiences.
• Quantify players' physiological and psychological responses to these stressors.
• Explore how players employ coping strategies to deal with stress within the game, contributing to broader research on resilience and well-being.

ResearchMethodology

In this study, we aimed to explore the dynamics of stress and coping mechanisms through an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) named "The LUX".This ARG was meticulously designed to replicate real-life stressors within a game environment, such as time constraints, challenging social interactions, and problem-solving under pressure. Our objective was to observe and analyze how individuals navigate these stressors, utilizing a blend of user experience research methodologies. Below, we detail each methodology employed in our research.

• Game Design and Simulation: Creating "The LUX"

The foundational step of our research involved the development of "The LUX," an ARG crafted to simulate stressful scenarios akin to real-life experiences. This immersive game setting allowed participants to confront and manage stress-inducing challenges, offering a rich context for our study. The game's design was pivotal in eliciting genuine reactions and coping strategies from the players, providing a baseline for our observations and analyses.

• Behavioral Observation: Face Recording

A key component of our methodology was the direct observation of participants as they engaged with the game. This process entailed monitoring players' physical and mental reactions to various game-induced stressors. By analyzing these responses, we could differentiate between immediate stress reactions and prolonged stress experiences, particularly during the game's social interaction phases. These observations were crucial for understanding the multifaceted nature of stress as experienced by different individuals.

• Interviewing and Recording Players

To gain deeper insights into the participants' experiences, we employed communication analysis through interviews and recorded interactions. This included closely examining player conversations (e.g., via Discord chat), collaborative problem-solving efforts, and emotional expressions throughout the game. Recording and analyzing these interactions allowed us to capture the nuances of teamwork and emotional dynamics within the game environment. Additionally, we collected data on participants' facial expressions to further enrich our understanding of their emotional states.

RecruitmentProcess

For this study all participants were recruited by posting invitations links in community channels of discord, slacks, university newsletter and coridors. All participants were compensated.

For the playtesing sessions our recuirtment criteria was :

• Age : 18 and above
• Geography: the US only
• Language: English
• Qualifications: Undergraduate and Graduate Students Only

Analysis and Synthesis

Data Analysis: Employing Thematic Analysis and Surveys Our analytical approach combined thematic analysis with surveys and other methodologies to systematically examine the collected data. Through thematic analysis, we identified recurring patterns and themes in how participants coped with stressors. Surveys complemented this by providing quantitative data on participants' experiences and strategies. This multi-faceted analysis enabled us to visually map the game's stress points and the collaborative dynamics among players, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the coping mechanisms employed.

• First, there's a need for a more robust feedback mechanism to ensure players learn from their experiences, as our current system falls short in evaluating this. Interestingly, a significant portion of participants (4 out of 10) managed to avoid using any personal pronouns during play, indicating a need to refine our narrative approach.
• Secondly, while most participants (7 out of 10) found the game engaging than conventional orientation sessions, our method for measuring their experience needs enhancement.
• Lastly, Despite instructions on pronoun sensitivity, most players still defaulted to male pronouns for the Editor character in post-game interviews. This contrasted with their behavior towards Shibu, the protagonist, whom they addressed with neutral pronouns once they recognized a preference for them. However, this sensitivity did not extend to other non-player characters, who were often referred to with gender-specific pronouns. This feedback underscores the importance of revising our narrative and script to promote a more inclusive and educational player experience.

SelfReflection

This project started more of as personal journey to underscore the ongoing discourse about the effectiveness of e