Clint Bowers

Biography

CLINT ALAN BOWERS is a Professor at UCF in the department of Sociology. EDUCATION Ph.D. (1987), Clinical/Community Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida M.A. (1984), Clinical/Community Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. B.S. (1981), Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.  

Research Interest

I have two distinct research tracks. One is dedicated to the study of games and other technology as training tools. My laboratory tries to identify aspects of games that are related to positive learning outcomes. We’re also interested in taking the lessons from the science of learning and translating them into game design. We have developed and evaluated games in the areas of science learning, navy training, and business and engineering practices. We have received funding from the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, the Intelligence Advanced Research Project Agency, and Defense Acquisition University. Our games have also won awards at the Serious Games Showcase and Serious Play. My other track is dedicated to the use of games and other technology in the prevention and treatment of mental illness. Towards that end, I have developed games to prevent anxiety disorders in the military and to prevent problem drinking in college students. I have also developed a game to assist in training relapse prevention skills to inpatient alcoholics. This track has been funded by the Office of Naval Research, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center.