No abstract

*Abstract:*Minecraft is an open world block-based game that has become increasinglypopular because of its freedom of self-determined gameplay and itspotential as a creative platform for self-expression. We conducted twostudies to examine the link between personality, including the Big Five andnarcissism, and Minecraft play. Study 1 (N=247) assessed personality andself-reported Minecraft play. Study 2 (N=121) measured personality andrecorded actions in a session of Minecraft play in the lab. Across bothstudies we found consistent but modest associations between personality,self-reported Minecraft motivations, and, to a lesser extent, actionsduring Minecraft play. In terms of the Big Five, Openness to experienceappeared to have the broadest implications for Minecraft play, reflecting adesire to explore and less defensive in game behaviors (e.g., fewer weaponsand armor). Narcissism predicted enjoying unprovoked killing as well as ahigher likelihood of actually killing in game. Implications forunderstanding personality in the virtual world are discussed.Keywords: Minecraft, personality, Big Five, narcissism