Illustrating a narrative: A test of game elements in game‐like personality assessment

• Published in: International journal of selection and assessment Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 157 - 166
• Main Authors: Harman, Jason L., Brown, Kayla D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2022
• Subjects: Between-subjects design; game‐like assessment; gamification; Personality; Personality tests
• ISSN: 0965-075X; 1468-2389
• DOI: 10.1111/ijsa.12374

Incorporating game elements into personality assessment has the potential to address several common criticisms of personality measures. Game‐like personality measures accomplished this by creating a narrative text‐based fantasy game where players' choices throughout the game are used to measure the big five personality factors. The current work tests the addition of a second game element to these narrative measures, namely graphics. A between subjects' experiment with participants playing either the original text‐based game or the illustrated game shows no differences in personality measurement. Participant reactions were more positive to the game than to a traditional personality inventory, but the addition of graphics did not change participant reactions to the game. Highlights Game‐like personality measures with only narrative and with narrative and illustrations were tested. Participants playing either the original text‐based game or the illustrated game shows no differences in personality measurement. Reactions were more positive to the game than to a traditional personality inventory, but the addition of graphics did not change participant reactions to the game.