Ciara Boylan and Vaughan Sheahan, students at Wilson’s Hospital, delved into the world of Dungeons and Dragons to explore the connection between role-playing game (RPG) character choices and personality traits. The duo conducted a project where RPG players filled out personality surveys to identify potential correlations between hobbies, self-image, and preferred character classes.
Vaughan, an aspiring psychiatrist, explained their hypothesis: “We theorize that there may be a correlation between a person’s hobbies and self-image.” To test this, players were asked to indicate their favorite character class in role-playing games, leading to a surprising discovery.
Fascinatingly, respondents who chose the ‘Rogue’ role in the game often identified as anxious individuals in real life. This intriguing correlation prompted Ciara and Vaughan to create a quiz that assists players in identifying the RPG role they might enjoy the most based on their personality.
Both actively engaged in Dungeons and Dragons through their school’s club, Ciara and Vaughan were surprised to find that respondents who considered themselves religious in real life rarely expressed interest in assuming game roles associated with characters of religious inclination.
Beyond the research and analysis aspects of their project, Vaughan discovered a talent for effectively communicating his ideas—a trait also noted in Ciara’s case. Their exploration of the intricate connection between gaming choices and personality traits sheds light on the potential psychological nuances reflected in individuals’ preferences within the realm of role-playing games.
