Those who take part in “geeky events” are more likely to have an “elevated grandiose” level of narcissism, according to a study conducted by the University of Georgia.

Psychologists examined the personality traits of those who turn to “geek culture”, developing a Geek Culture Engagement Scale and a Geek Identity Scale to help quantify the figures.

It was found that those who scored highly on both scales were more likely to narcissists.

Subjects are scored on a scale of one to five, depending on how often they take part in activities such as live action role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, cosplaying, puppetry, robotics – and enjoying things such as video games and Star Wars.

Writing in the Public Library of Science One journal, Jessica McCain, the scientist who led the research said: “Geek culture is a subculture of enthusiasts that is traditionally associated with obscure media like Japanese animation, science fictions and video games.

“However, geek culture is becoming increasingly mainstream. In the past year alone, New York Comic-Con, one of the premier geek conventions in the United States, attracted over 130,000 attendees.

“Our findings suggest that geek media is especially attractive to narcissists, independent of demographic variables.”

Read the article “Gamers and Geeks at Greater Risk for Narcissism Disorder” on independent.co.uk.