Editing Multi-user dungeon (section)

==Psychology and engagement==
[[Sherry Turkle]] developed a theory that the constant use (and in many cases, overuse) of MUDs allows users to develop different personalities in their environments.  She uses examples, dating back to the text-based MUDs of the mid-1990s, showing college students who simultaneously live different lives through characters in separate MUDs, up to three at a time, all while doing schoolwork.  The students claimed that it was a way to "shut off" their own lives for a while and become part of another reality.  Turkle claims that this could present a psychological problem of identity for today's youths.{{R|turkle}}

"[[A Story About A Tree]]" is a short essay written by [[Raph Koster]] regarding the death of a ''[[LegendMUD]]'' player named Karyn, raising the subject of inter-human relationships in virtual worlds.

Observations of MUD-play show [[Bartle Test|styles of play]] that can be roughly categorized. Achievers focus on concrete measurements of success such as [[Experience point|experience points, levels]], and wealth; Explorers investigate every nook and cranny of the game, and evaluate different [[Game mechanics|game mechanical]] options; Socializers devote most of their energy to interacting with other players; and then there are Killers who focus on interacting negatively with other players, if permitted, killing the other characters or otherwise thwarting their play. Few players play only one way; most exhibit a diverse style.{{R|bartle-taxonomy}}  According to [[Richard Bartle]], "People go there as part of a hero's journey&mdash;a means of self-discovery".{{R|stuart-bartle-herojourney}}

Research has suggested that various factors combine in MUDs to provide users with a sense of ''presence'' rather than simply communication.{{R|towell}}