About Me
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Communication at the University of Southern California. My research examines social interaction in digital environments, including online multiplayer games and social media, with a focus on relationship selection, social influence, and the psychological processes underlying online behavior.
I use surveys, network and behavioral data, social network analysis, machine learning, and computational text analysis to study communication processes in online environments.
- Game Studies
- Media Psychology
- Social Network Analysis
- Computational Methods
- Natural Language Processing
Dissertation: Toxic and Prosocial Gameplay in Online Games: Socially Driven Behavior, and Psychological Need Experiences
Adviser: Dmitri Williams. Committee: Dmitri Williams (Chair), Aimei Yang, and Lindsay Young.
Education
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Aug 2023–Present
Ph.D. in Communication (ABD)
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Adviser: Dmitri Williams
Dissertation: Toxic and Prosocial Gameplay in Online Games: Relationship Selection, Socially Driven Behavior, and Psychological Need Experiences
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Aug 2021–May 2023
M.A. in Media and Communication, Theory and Research Track
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Adviser: Francesca Dillman Carpentier
Thesis: Do Users Reveal the Needs that Motivate Them to Watch Gaming Videos? A Computational Analysis of Gaming Video User Comments on YouTube
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Mar 2016–Feb 2021
B.S. in Content Convergence and B.C.M. in Communication and Media
Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
Summa cum laude. Cumulative GPA: 3.93 / 4.00.
- Content Convergence thesis: Does the viewer’s gender of YouTube “Eating Show” correlate with the viewer’s watching motivation, preference, and the creator’s gender?
- Communication and Media thesis: Algorithm Design for Augmented Reality Applications to Digital Advertisements
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
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In Press
Interpersonal communication environments and counterarguing intentions toward climate misinformation: The role of personal climate discussion networks, norms, and attitudes
Environment & Behavior.
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2026
Different gameplay styles, different psychological needs: Extending relatedness through behavioral indicators
Journal of Media Psychology. Advance online publication.
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2026
No player is an island: Belonging, identity and skill in online game teams
Entertainment Computing, 58, 101171.
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2026
Protest images and interaction networks within affective publics during the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis
Computational Communication Research, 8(3), 1–24.
Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters
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In Press
Measuring social influence through behavioural data: A computational model of Social Value in networks
SAGE Research Methods.
Peer-Reviewed Manuscripts Under Review
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Under Review
Socializing, learning, laughing: Motivational patterns in YouTube comments across gaming video types
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Under Review
Understanding paying it forward in online gaming: A COM-B model approach in Sky: Children of the Light
Research Experience
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Jan 2026–Present
Research Assistant, Annenberg Game Lab (TGG), University of Southern California
- Lead bi-weekly meetings and prepare discussion materials.
- Present data-analysis strategies for working with game data.
- Lead survey planning for World of Tanks.
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Jan 2026–Present
Research Assistant, Social Value Lab (SV), University of Southern California
- Model Social Value and Receptivity using random forest regression with game behavioral data.
- Analyze network and behavioral data to examine relational influence dynamics in online game environments.
- Prepare research discussion materials and coordinate bi-weekly meetings.
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Jan 2025–May 2026
Research Assistant, Annenberg Networks Network (ANN), University of Southern California
- Led weekly meetings and prepared discussion materials for a climate-change misinformation project.
- Analyzed survey data collected from Prolific.
- Designed an experiment on conformity to climate-change information in social networks.
- Conducted literature reviews to support project development.
Conference Presentations
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Kim, J. Y., Kim, D., & Jung, B. Understanding Paying it Forward in Online Gaming: A COM-B Model Approach in Sky: Children of the Light
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Kim, J. Y., Kim, D., Curry, M., & Wang, Z. Personal Discussion Networks Shape Counterarguing Intentions against Climate Misinformation Through Pro-Climate Norms and Attitudes
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Kim, D., Kim, J. Y., Wang, Z., Kim, N., & Jung, B. When Influencers Use AI Agents: How Transparency Shapes Audience Reactions
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Kim, J. Y., & Curry, M. Social Influence and Spending Behavior in MMORPG Networks
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Kim, J. Y., Kim, D., Zhuo, S., Wang, Z., Williams, D., & Yang, A. Different Gameplay Styles, Different Psychological Needs: Extending Relatedness Through Behavioral Indicators
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Kim, D., Wang, Z., Kim, J. Y., & Jung, B. Cognitive and Affective Trust in Intention to Use Fully Autonomous LLM-Based Agents
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Wang, Z., Cao, L., Kim, D., Jung, B., Kim, J. Y., Yang, A., & Williams, D. Quantifying Local Donation Networks: The Impact of Geographical Partisan Heterogeneity and News Use on Political Donation
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Kim, D., Choi, E., Curry, M., Cao, L., Zhou, S., Kim, J. Y., Leccese, M., Jung, B., Kim, N., Zeng, W., Brunn, L., Wang, Z., Yang, A., & Williams, D. Exploring the Impact of Social Influence on Group Well-Being in Massively Multiplayer Online Games: Evidence from Sky: Children of the Light
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Kim, J. Y., & Miller, L. Do Violent versus Nonviolent Multiplayer Video Games Impact Subsequent Prosocial Behavior? A Meta-Analysis
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Kim, J. Y., Cao, L., Isherwood, K., & Jang, E. Fact-Checking and Mitigation Behavior Intentions of Climate Change Misinformation Memes among Individuals of Different Beliefs
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Kim, J. Y. Reveal the Users’ Needs that Motivate Watching Gaming Videos with Topic Modeling
Awards & Scholarships
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2023–Present
Annenberg Fellowship Award, University of Southern California
Fellowship support and Teaching/Research Assistant appointment.
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2025–2026
Annenberg Graduate Fellowship Research and Creative Project Symposium Award
Awarded for symposium presentation.
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2026
Annenberg Summer Educational Fellowship
Support for participation in the SCoDA Workshop: Statistics on Complex Data at Seoul National University.
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2025
Student Success Fund, University of Southern California
Support for extra- and co-curricular academic programs.
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2016–2020
Dean’s List, Ewha Womans University
Recognized for completing more than 15 credits with no failed courses and a minimum semester GPA of 3.75.
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2016–2020
Honor Scholarship, Ewha Womans University
Awarded for academic excellence, top 2% by year level.
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2017
Ewha Boston Alumnae Scholarship
Awarded for outstanding academic performance and clear future goals.
Teaching & Service
Teaching Experience
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Aug 2024–Dec 2025
Teaching Assistant, Uses of Communication Research, University of Southern California
Supported master’s students in statistical analysis with SPSS and in applying quantitative methods, including surveys and experiments.
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Jan–May 2025
Teaching Assistant, Communication Management Pro-Seminar, University of Southern California
Supported master’s students in research-paper writing, with emphasis on organization, clarity, and APA style.
Peer Review
- International Journal of Communication, 2026
- National Communication Association, Game Studies Division, 2024–2026
- International Communication Association, Game Studies and Environmental Communication Divisions, 2024–2026
- Korean American Communication Association Conference, 2025–2026
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Mass Communication and Society and Communication Technology Divisions, 2024–2025
Professional & Campus Service
KACA–NCA Student Representative, November 2025–November 2026
- Organize the KACA graduate student social event at the National Communication Association annual convention.
- Promote graduate student engagement and networking within the Korean American communication research community.
- Collaborate with the KACA Executive Board on student-focused initiatives.
Vice President, USC Korean Graduate Student Association, August 2024–May 2025
- Organized networking events, career-development workshops, and academic workshops for Korean graduate students.
- Managed the association’s operations, budgets, and communications.
- Collaborated with student organizations and universities, including UCLA and Caltech, to provide support and resources.
Ewha Student Ambassador, March–August 2018
- Visited high schools in Korea and used media materials tailored to student needs to introduce Ewha Womans University.
Skills
Python, natural language processing, machine learning and transformer models, R, and SPSS.
Languages
Korean: Native · English: Fluent · Japanese: Intermediate
Additional Experience
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Mar 2019
Contest Participant, SKT 0 Fitial Contest, Seoul, South Korea
Planned and executed a public-relations campaign for adults in their 20s and 30s and designed the campaign process on Instagram.
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Feb 2018
Camera Director Assistant, Olympic Broadcasting Services, Gangneung, South Korea
Assisted camera directors at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games by arranging the shooting environment and materials.