Steffie Kim, Ph.D.
Quantitative User Researcher @ thatgamecompany
I inform game design decisions by turning player data into insights. Using a mix of large-scale surveys, telemetry, and mixed-methods, I help stakeholders understand player behavior and create highly engaging player experiences. I am driven by a deep interest in how people engage with interactive media and by applying research to create meaningful impact.- Ph.D. in Communication / Media Studies, University of Southern California
- M.A. in Communication / Media Studies & B.A. in Linguistics, Seoul National University
Key Skills
Portfolio
Selected publicly shareable projects.
NDA-restricted projects available upon request.
Survey & Behavioral Data Analysis
Interactive Time Series Dashboard
A/B testing
Interviews & Thematic Analysis
Online Experiment
Multilevel Modeling
Publications
Visit Google Scholar Profile
Tang, J. L., Liu, M., Bisberg, A. J., Kim, S. S. Y., & Williams, D. (2026). Intergroup contact, contact heterogeneity, and cross-group friendship: Evidence from a global prosocial mobile game. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.
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Nan, Y., Qin, J., Li, Z., Kim, N. G., Kim, S. S. Y., & Miller, L. C. (2024). Is social media use related to social anxiety? A meta-analysis. Mass Communication and Society.
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Xu, Y., Wang, Y., Kim, S. S. Y., Kim, D., & McLaughlin, M. L. (2023). Safe at home: Acceptance of surveillance technology among caregivers for persons with dementia. Health Informatics, 29(1), 1-17.
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Kim, S. S. Y., Huang-Isherwood, K. M., Zheng, W., & Williams, D. (2022). The art of being together: How coplay can increase reciprocity, social capital, and social status in a multiplayer online game. Computers in Human Behavior, 133, 107291.
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Huang-Isherwood, K. M., Kim, S. S. Y., Bisberg, A. J., & Williams, D. (2022). Las mujeres sostienen (más de) la mitad del cielo: examinando las motivaciones, los comportamientos y el capital social en un juego multijugador popular entre las jugadoras [Women hold up (more than) half of the sky: Examining gameplay motivations, behaviors, and social capital in a multiplayer game popular among female players]. Revista Internacional de Sociología, 80(4), 1-18.
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Kim, S. S. Y., Liu, M., Qiao, A., &, Miller, L. C. (2021). “I want to be alone, but I don’t want to be lonely”: Uncertainty management regarding social situations among college students with social anxiety disorder. Health Communication, 37(13), 1-11.
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Jeong, D. C., Kim, S. S. Y., Xu, J. J., & Miller, L. C. (2021). Protean kinematics: A blended model of physical and virtual physics in VR. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-17.
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Sun, Y., Kim, H. M., Xu, Y., Wang, Y., Kwong, J., Kim, S. S. Y., Kim, D. O., McLaughlin, M. (2021). GPS tracking in dementia caregiving: Social norm, perceived usefulness, and behavioral intent to use technology. Proceedings of the 54th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.
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