The relationship between a gamer's personality type and their character has been analyzed.

During a one-hour gaming session of the popular 3D shooter DOOM, cyberpsychologists from N.N. Lobachevsky University recorded players' heart rates and documented the gameplay. They then compared the fluctuations in the character's health points with the players' heart rates and personality types. The findings from this research could be utilized in the development of video games, in the realm of phygital sports, and for training esports athletes.

2025-02-27 10:01:41https://naked-science.ru/article/column/lichnosti-gejmera-s-ego-p

As noted by researchers, this is one of the first scientific studies in the world where the state of the human body has been compared with the health of a gaming character. The project aims to develop biological feedback technologies in gaming, as well as to enhance the psychological safety of players.

“Anyone interested was invited to participate in the experiment, without any special requirements. Ultimately, a group aged between 18 and 37 years was formed. The results showed that a player's condition changes depending on the damage received by their character. Moreover, these changes are linked to the psychological profile of the individual. For instance, introverts tend to focus on their avatar, experiencing distress over what happens to it. In contrast, the most significant connections were found among self-sufficient and adaptable individuals—referred to in psychology as the ‘reserved’ type. Their bodies adapt most flexibly to what occurs in the game,” explained the study's author, Valeria Vyakhireva, a senior lecturer at the Department of Cyberpsychology at NNGU.

“These patterns open up possibilities for creating a unique gameplay experience that responds to the psychological state of the player in real time. This is particularly important for games aimed at individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, thanks to this data, the game could take into account players' stress resilience levels, as gamer stress can lead to dangerous consequences, including heart attacks,” commented Valeria Demareva, head of the Department of Cyberpsychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences at NNGU.

Representatives from the gaming industry have already approached researchers for studies on gaming psychology to enhance gameplay and marketing strategies. Currently, researchers are scaling up the project to expand the statistics and further explore the relationship between gamers and their avatars.

The results of the study have been published in the international journal Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures, part of the Studies in Computational Intelligence series.