When playing The Sims 3, people with psychopathic traits are more likely to show aggressive and mean behaviour towards other characters, a study has found.
The popular life simulation video game allows players to create — and also assume control over — virtual characters, their houses and neighbourhoods.
Experts from Canada asked 205 people to create a 'sim' avatar to represent them in interactions with four AI-controlled characters, each with a different personality.
The team found that those players who were also found to have more psychopathic traits were more aggressive and less friendly towards the non-player characters.
Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterised by traits including deceit, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, aggression and a lack of empathy or remorse.