Do certain psychological tendencies exist in analog role-playing gamers compared with other gamers or non-gamers? Our study addresses this questions by conducting online quantitative surveys of gamers and members of related subcultures in a two-stage process. The first study measured their personality traits with the Big Five Inventory (BFI-20; Gouvia et al., 2021); perspective taking and empathy with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) (Davis 1980); and attachment styles with the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) scale. The second stage measured absorption, fantasy proneness and other characteristics through the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire Short Form (MPS) absorption scale (Patrick et al. 2002) and sensitivity to psychological material either in the unconscious and/or the external environment (Thalbourne and Maltby 2008) with the Revised Transliminality Scale (Lange et al. 2000).

Our survey gathered data from 332 respondents, of which 214 self-defined as “gamer” and 118 self-identified as “non-gamer.” A preliminary analysis of our data found that live action role-players (larpers) that had been participated in at least one game in the last year, showed higher scores than players who had not larped in the last year in: openness to experience, extraversion, neuroticism, avoidant attachment style, absorption, and, transliminality.

Furthermore, in participants who enjoyed playing any type of analog role-playing game vs. those who did not report enjoying any RPGs, we found: higher openness to experience, higher neuroticism, higher absorption, and higher transliminality.

The scores of self-identified “gamers” and “non-gamers” showed significant differences. Non-gamers showed higher conscientiousness, higher agreeableness, and higher perspective taking. Gamers showed higher fantasy-proneness, a subscale of absorption.