It is not new that video games, in addition to being pure entertainment, can also be used for many other things. A good example of this is a recent psychological study related to the title Cities: Skylines. This recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology sought to uncover the relationship between personality-defining traits and the ability to solve complex problems.
It all started from the premise that in previous studies, certain personality traits had been shown to be related to how we approach the various dilemmas that arise in our daily lives. Ulrike Kipman and her team wanted to know how subjects with personality disorders cope with these problems.
To do this, they chose people with nine different personality disorders. A total of 242 adults (17 to 48 years old) participated, all patients admitted to psychiatric centers. This is where Cities: Skylines comes in. Participants were invited to play this urban simulator by assuming the role of a mayor who must lead the construction and management of a growing city trying to manage good economy.
The results revealed that participants with difficulty establishing interpersonal relationships and with alterations in thought patterns were less successful in gambling. Personalities with depressive, dependent and paranoid traits also did not enjoy or succeed gambling, although in this case the association is much weaker.
This study has provided new insights into this complex issue. Although it is true that it has limitations because it has only been approved with one game. The next step would be to take the study a little further and try another type of problem solving , either using video games or other areas.