Although we were required to transfer the copyright of some of the following articles to the publishers, we are allowed to distribute copies to individuals for personal and/or research use. If you would like access to a full-text PDF of any of our articles, please email us at play4REAL@yale.edu.
Opara I, Weser V, Sands B, Fernandes C-SF, Hussett-Richardson S, Hieftje K. Feeling Invisible and Unheard: A Qualitative Exploration of Gendered-Racist Stereotypes Influence on Sexual Decision Making and Mistreatment of Black Teen Girls. Youth & Society. February 2022. doi:10.1177/0044118X221075051
Fernandes, CF., Pendergrass, TM., Hieftje, KD, Evanko, A., Fiellin, LE. Promoting Student Health and Well-Being with Digital Games. In: D. Seelow (ed), Teaching in the Game-Based Classroom: Practical Strategies for Grades 6-12. 2021: Routledge, New York.
Weser VU, Opara I, Sands BE, Fernandes CS, Hieftje KD. How Black Teen Girls Navigate Social Media to Form Romantic Relationships. Social Media+ Society. 2021 Jul;7(3): https://doi.org/10.1177%2F20563051211033823
Weser VU, Duncan LR, Sands BE, Schartmann A, Jacobo S, François B, Hieftje KD. Evaluation of a Virtual Reality E-cigarette Prevention Game for Adolescents. Addictive Behaviors. 2021 Jun 23:107027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107027
Egan JE, Corey SL, Henderson ER, Adebe KZ, Louth-Marquez W, Espelage D, Hunter SC, DeLucas M, Miller E, Morrill BA, Hieftje K, Sang JM, Friedman MS, Coulter RWS. Feasibility of a Web-accessible Game-based Intervention for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2021 (in press)
Hieftje, K. GFHJ: Moving Forward in 2021. Games for Health Journal. Feb 2021.1-1.
Weser VU, Duncan LR, Pendergrass TM, Fernandes CS, Fiellin LE, Hieftje KD. A Quasi-Experimental Test of a Virtual Reality Game Prototype for Adolescent E-Cigarette Prevention. Addictive Behaviors. 2020 Sep 2:106639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106639
Weser, V., Hieftje, K.D. Invite Only VR: A Vaping Prevention Game: An Evidence-Based VR Game for Health and Behavior Change. In Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques Conference Talks (SIGGRAPH ’20 Talks), 2020 Aug. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 2 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3388767.3407355
Pendergrass, T., Hieftje, K., Duncan, L., Fiellin, L. Videogame Intervention to Encourage HIV Testing and Counseling among Adolescents: A Pilot Study. https://dx.doi.org/10.21037%2Fmhealth.2020.01.05
Hieftje, K., Fernandes, C., Lin, I, Fiellin, L. Effectiveness of a Web-Based Tobacco Product Use Prevention Videogame Intervention on Young Adolescents’ Beliefs and Knowledge. Substance Abuse. 2019 Dec 11:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2019.1691128
Hieftje, K, Duncan, L, Florsheim, O, Sawyer, B, Fiellin, E, One Night Stan: Feasibility Study of an HIV Prevention and Sexual Risk Reduction Social Card Game for Young Black Women. Games for Health Journal, 2019 Apr;8(2):112-120. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2017.0106
Coulter, R; Sang, J; Louth-Marquez, W, Henderson, E, Espelage, D, Hunter, S, DeLucas, M, Abebe, K, Miller, E, Morill, D, Hieftje, K, Friedman, & M, Egan, J. Pilot Testing the Feasibility of a Game Intervention Aimed at Improving Help Seeking and Coping Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Research Protocols. 2019. 8(2):e12164. https://doi.org/10.2196/12164
Pentz, MA, Hieftje, K, Pendergrass, T, Brito, S, Liu, M, Arora, T, Tindle, A, Krishnan-Sarin, K, Fiellin, LE. A Videogame Intervention for Tobacco Product Use Prevention in Adolescents. Addictive Behaviors. 2019 Apr;91:188-192 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.11.016
Weser VU, Proffitt DR. Making the visual tangible: Substituting lifting speed limits for object weight in VR. PRESENCE: Virtual and Augmented Reality. 2019 Mar;27(1):68-79. https://doi.org/10.1162/pres_a_00319
Gariepy A, Hieftje K, Pendergrass T, Miller E, Dziura J, Fiellin L. Development and feasibility testing of a videogame intervention to reduce high-risk sexual behavior in Black and Hispanic adolescents. Games for Health Journal: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications. E-pub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2017.0142
Hieftje, KD, Pendergrass, T., Montanaro, E., Kyriakides, T., Florsheim, O., and Fiellin, L., “But do they like it?” Participant satisfaction and gameplay experience of a public health videogame intervention in adolescents,” 2018 IEEE 6th International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH), Vienna, 2018, pp. 1-7. doi: 10.1109/SeGAH.2018.8401349.
Camenga, DR, Fiellin, LE, Pendergrass, T., Miller, E., Pentz, M, Hieftje, K. Adolescents’ perceptions of flavored tobacco products, including E-cigarettes: A qualitative study to inform FDA tobacco education efforts through videogames. Addictive Behavior. 2018; Jul; 82: 189-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.03.021
Duncan, LR, Hieftje, KD, Pendergrass, TM, Sawyer, BG, Fiellin, LE. Preliminary investigation of a videogame prototype for cigarette and marijuana prevention in adolescents. Substance Abuse, 2018; Feb 9; 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2018.1437862
Fiellin, LE, Hieftje, KD, Pendergrass, TM, Kyriakides, TC, Duncan, LR, Dzuira, JD, Sawer, BG, Mayes, L, Crusto, CA, Forsyth, BW, Fiellin, DA. Video Game Intervention for Sexual Risk Reduction in Minority Adolescents: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2017; Sept 18; 19(9):e314. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.8148
Hieftje, K., Pendergrass, T., Kyriakides, T.C., Gilliam, W., Fiellin, L. An Evaluation of an Educational Video Game on Mathematics Achievement in First Grade Students. Technologies. 2017;30(5):2-8. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies5020030
Hieftje, K., Duncan, L., Pendergrass, T., Sawyer, B., & Fiellin, L. Development of a HIV prevention videogame: Lessons learned. International Journal of Serious Games. 2016 April-June; 3(2):83-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v1i4.47
Pendergrass, T., Hieftje, K., Crusto, C., Montanaro, E., & Fiellin, L. If we build it, will they come? A qualitative study of key stakeholder opinions on the implementation of a videogame intervention for risk reduction in adolescents. Games for Health Journal. 2015; 5(4):1-7. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2015.0092
Fiellin, L.E., Kyriakides, T.C., Hieftje, K.D., et al. The design and implementation of a randomized controlled trial of a risk reduction and human immunodeficiency virus prevention videogame intervention in minority adolescents: PlayForward: Elm City Stories. Clinical Trials: Journal of the Society for Clinical Trials. 2016; March 25: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1740774516637871
Brown, K., Bull, S., Christensen, J., Hieftje, K., Jozkowski, K., & Ybarra, M. Serious games for sexual health. Games for Health Journal, 4(2), 1-9. 2015. doi: 10.1089/g4h.2014.0139
Fiellin L, Hieftje KD, Duncan L. Videogames, here for good. Pediatrics. 2014;134(5):849-851. https://dx.doi.org/10.1542%2Fpeds.2014-0941
Hieftje, K.D., Duncan, L. R., & Fiellin, L. E. Novel methods to collect meaningful data from adolescents for the development of health interventions. Health Promotion Practice. 2014. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177%2F1524839914521211
Camenga, D. R., Hieftje, K.D., Edelman, J., Rosenthal, M. S., Fiellin, L. E., & Duncan, L. R. The use of message framing to promote delayed sexual initiation in young adolescents: A qualitative study. Health Education Research. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyt156
Duncan, L. R., Hieftje, K.D., Culyba, S., & Fiellin, L. E. Game Playbooks: Tools to guide multidisciplinary teams in developing videogame-based behavior change interventions. Translational Behavioral Medicine. 2014. http://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-013-0246-8
Hieftje, K.D., Edelman, E.J., Camenga, D.R., & Fiellin, L.E. Electronic media-based health interventions for behavior change in youth: A systematic review. JAMA Pediatrics. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.1095
Invited Speaking Engagements, Presentations, Symposia & Workshops:
International/National
2022 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, New Orleans, LA. Speaker: “InvestiDate: A Multi-Player Videogame Intervention to Empower Black Teen Girls Around Safe Sex, Healthy Relationships, and Partner Communication”
2021 International VR and Healthcare Symposium, Dublin, Ireland “XRPeds: A Collaborative Endeavor to Improve Pediatric Care and Outcomes”
2021 Intercultural Competence and Global Education: New Perspective, Implementation, & Evaluation, National Taipei University of Education, Taipai City, Taiwan, “Bringing Game-based Health Interventions into the Classroom” (Keynote)
2021 Vassar College Cognitive Science Department Invited Lecture: “Virtual Reality in Behavioral Science: Basic and Applied Research Applications”
2021 Games for Change. Speaker: “A Multiplayer Dating Game to Empower Black Teen Girls”
2021 Health Services Research Seminar jointly hosted by the Center for Research on Health Care, The Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, and RAND-University of Pittsburgh Health Institute. Speaker: “Extended Reality (XR) in Health and Medicine“
2021 Serious Play. Speaker: “Developing a Multiplayer Dating Game to Empower Black Teen Girls”
2021 Serious Play. Speaker: “Invite Only VR: A Vaping Prevention Game for Teens”
2021 Yale Postdoc Symposium. Speaker: “Developing a Multiplayer Dating Game to Empower Black Teen Girls”
2021 Society for Public Health Education 72nd Annual Conference. Speaker: “Development of A Multi-Player Videogame Intervention to Empower Black Teen Girls Around Healthy Relationships and Partner Communication”
2021 Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weekly Research Get Together “XR in Health and Medicine: What is the Reality?”
2021 Yale Child Study Center, Grand Rounds, “Extended Reality in Health and Medicine”
2021 5th Annual Virtual Reality in Global Healthcare Symposium. “XR at Yale University”
2020 The 2020 Unity for Humanity Summit showcased Invite Only VR: A Vaping Prevention Game
2020 SIGGRAPH 2020, Washington D.C. Speaker: “Invite Only VR: A Vaping Prevention Game: An Evidence-Based VR Game for Health and Behavior Change”
2020 Yale Postdoc Symposium. Speaker: “Feasibility Study of a Virtual Reality Game Prototype for Adolescent E-Cigarette Prevention”
2020 Virtual Reality and Healthcare Global Symposium, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, Panelist: “Building Mental Health Interventions in VR: Failures, Successes, and Future Directions”
2020 Virtual Reality and Healthcare Global Symposium, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, Speaker: “Invite Only VR: A Vaping Prevention Game for Teens”
2020 Invited Speaker, Colloquium Series, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, “XR Games in Health and Education: Are We Ahead of the Game?”
2019 Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health, Arlington, VA, poster presentation, “Effectiveness of a Web-Based Tobacco Product Use Prevention Videogame Intervention on Young Adolescents’ Beliefs and Knowledge”
2019 NIH Tobacco Regulatory Summit, Arlington, VA, poster presentation, “Effectiveness of a Web-Based Tobacco Product Use Prevention Videogame Intervention on Young Adolescents’ Beliefs and Knowledge”
2019 Oculus Connect Education Summit, San Jose, CA, “Invite Only VR: A Vaping Prevention Game”
2019 IEEE-GEM, New Haven, CT, Keynote Speaker, “Virtual Reality and Health Promotion: A Unique Opportunity to Bring VR to the Classroom”
2019 Serious Play, Montreal, Quebec, CA, “Invite Only VR: A Vaping Prevention Game”
2019 Games for Change, New York City, NY, “smokeSCREEN VR: A Partnership for Social Change”
2019 Pax East, Boston MA, “First VR Game Experiences” Panel Discussion.
2018 XRDC Conference, San Francisco, CA, “ XRDC’s Innovative AR/VR Showcase”
2018 Technology, Mind and Society Conference in Washington, DC, poster presentation, “Impact of a smoking prevention videogame intervention for teens”
2018 Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, “But do they like it? Participant satisfaction and gameplay experience of a public health videogame intervention in adolescents”
2018 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, Seattle, Washington, “A Videogame Intervention for Tobacco Product Use Prevention in Adolescents”
2018 Oculus Connect, San Jose, CA, “Development and Evaluation of smokeSCREEN VR: A Virtual Reality Videogame Intervention focusing on E-cigarette/JUUL prevention”
2018 National Smokeless Tobacco Summit, Sacramento, CA, “#BeTheFirst: Partnerships to Help Deliver the First Tobacco-Free Generation” facilitated discussion with CVS-funded partners”
2017 True Colors Conference, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. “A Videogame intervention for teens about healthy decision making”
2017 Games for Change Festival in New York City, “Pre-Production Frameworks: Tools for Teams to Create Better Design, Development, and Evaluation of Games for Change”
2017 Serious Play Conference, Washington, DC, “Re-purposing Serious Games: Making the Development Time Count Twice (or More)”
2017 National Health Disparities Conference, New Orleans, LA, Poster presentation, “Characteristics and Mediators of Anger/Aggression in Adolescent Females: A Secondary Analysis”
2016 67th Annual SOPHE Meeting, Charlotte, NC, Technology demonstration, “PlayForward: Elm City Stories: An Evidence-Based Videogame for Reducing Sexual Behaviors in Young Adolescents”
2016 Society for Adolescent Health & Medicine (SAHM) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, “If We Build It, Will They Come? A Qualitative Study of Key Stakeholder Opinions on the Implementation of a Videogame Intervention for Risk Reduction in Adolescents”
2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, “Videogame Intervention Increases HIV Knowledge”
2016 InSOPHE: Communicating Health: Technology in Health Education, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, “PlayForward: Elm City Stories: A Videogame for Risk Reduction and HIV Prevention in Young Adolescents”
2016 NIH.webex.com, “CCTN Seminar Series: Are Videogame Interventions a Game Changer? A Look at the Science Behind an HIV Prevention Game for At-Risk Teens”
2016 Edweb.net, “Development and Evaluation of an HIV Prevention Videogame”, http://home.edweb.net/webinar/development-hiv-prevention-videogame/
2016 Public Health Symposium: How Technology is Advancing Public Health, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, “Health Promotion and Behavior Change Through the Use of Electronic Media”
2016 User Sensitivity to Speed- and Height-Mismatches in VR. ACM SIGGRAPH Symposium on Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization
2015 Games4Ed Initiative: Immersive Learning Through Games, Games in Education Symposium, Discussion Speaker, Albany, NY.
2015 Revolutionary Learning 2015: Using Games & Simulations to Solve Critical Issues in Public Health, Washington DC, “Using Effective Behavior Change Video Games for Risk Reduction in Adolescents”
2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Conference, Austin, TX, “A Videogame Intervention for Risk Reduction in Young Minority Teens”
2014 Youth + Tech + Health Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, “Videogame Data: What Game Play Tells Us About Real World Behavior”
2014 10th Annual Games for Health Conference, Boston, MA, Discussion Leader and Speaker, “Storytellers Roundtable: Creating Narrative Games that Change Behavior”
2014 10th Annual Games for Health Conference, Boston, MA, “Social Outliers: Social Apps You Should Know”
2013 mHealth Summit, Washington, DC, “PlayForward: Elm City Stories: Overview”
2013 mHealth Summit, Washington, DC, “Developing a Behavior Change Videogame: Lessons Learned”
2013 Annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Society, Washington, DC, Poster Presentation, “A qualitative study of message framing in young adolescents”
2013 mHealth Summit, Washington, DC, “Developing a Behavior Change Videogame: Lessons Learned”
2013 mHealth Summit, Washington, DC, “PlayForward: Elm City Stories: Overview”
2013 9th annual Games for Health Conference, Boston, MA, “Surveys, Metrics, & Instruments: What to Ask to Assess Games and How to do it?”
2013 9th annual Games for Health Conference, Boston, MA, “Playforward: An iPad Game for HIV Prevention”
2013 American Academy of Health Behavior, Santa Fe, NM, Technology demonstration, “PlayForward: Elm City Stories, A Videogame for Behavior Change”
2012 12th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Health Behavior, Poster Presentation, Austin, TX, “Development of an Interactive Video Game on HIV Prevention”
2012 Annual meeting of the American Academy of Health Behavior, Austin, TX, Poster Presentation, “Developing an interactive video game for HIV prevention in early adolescents”
2012 8th Annual Games for Health Conference, Boston, MA, “A Process for Behavior Change Game: Design Collaboration”
2012 Games for Change Festival, New York City, NY, Demo Presentation, “PlayForward Elm City Stories”
2012 mHealth Summit, Washington, DC, Technology Demonstration, “A Tablet Game for Risk Reduction and HIV Prevention in Adolescents”
2012 19th Annual International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC, Poster Presentation, “A Qualitative Study to Inform the Development of a Videogame for Minority Adolescent HIV Risk Reduction and Prevention”
2012 mHealth Summit, Washington, DC, “A tablet game for risk reduction and HIV prevention in adolescents”
2011 Game Changers Summit, GE, New York, NY, “My Avatar is My Future: An Avatar System for the Age of Behavioral Change”