AddictionNCT06346353
Substance Consumption, Personality, and Cognitive Functioning of Chess Players
An observational study of Addiction and Alcohol, run by Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim at 1 site in Germany.
Trial summary
The aim of this project is to find out if there is a difference in addictive behavior, personality traits, and cognitive abilities between chess players and non-chess players. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- How many people
- 756 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGermany
- Study dates
- 31 Jan 2024to 31 May 2024
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: The survey is aimed at people who are at least 18 years old. There is no upper age limit. There is a division into two groups. Firstly, people who play chess in a club and have a DWZ (German rating). Secondly, there is a comparison group of people who do not play chess or only play chess as a hobby and therefore do not have a DWZ.
Who may be able to join
- all persons from the age of 18 years
- Inclusion in the group of chess players is based on the existence of a DWZ.
- Sufficient ability to answer the questionnaires
Who cannot join
- None
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Germany1 site
Klinik für Abhängiges Verhalten, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit
Mannheim
About this study
Official title: Substance Consumption, Personality, and Cognitive Functioning of Chess Players and Non-chess Players - an Online Survey
The aim of this project is to find out if there is a difference in addictive behavior, personality traits, and cognitive abilities between chess players and non-chess players.
Read the detailed description
In the present planned study, tournament chess players will be compared with non-tournament chess playing individuals by means of an online survey. Among other things, the investigators want to investigate whether these groups of persons differ in various characteristics such as their consumption behavior (alcohol, tobacco, and drug use), their personality, their depressiveness and mood, or their cognitive abilities. The background is the question whether playing chess could be protective against substance use disorders or could mitigate the manifestation.
- Conditions
- Addiction, Alcohol, Nicotine, Drugs, Personality, Depression
- Medical subject headings
- Behavior, Addictive, Depression, Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Chess players | Chess players who play tournament chess and have a DWZ (deutsche Wertungszahl) and/or ELO rating | |
| Non-chess players | Non-chess players or hobby chess players who do not have a DWZ or ELO rating |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Substance Craving
Mannheimer Craving Scale (MACS), Nakovics, Diehl, Geiselhart, \& Mann, 2009
Measured: baseline
Alcohol Use
Alcohol Use Disorders Indentification Scale (AUDIT-C), Bohn, Babor, \& Kranzler, 1995
Measured: baseline
Automatic Alcohol Craving
Craving Automated Scale - Alcohol (CAS-A), Vollstädt-Klein, Leménager, Jorde, Kiefer, \& Nakovics, 2015
Measured: baseline
Severity of Nicotine Dependence
Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Heatherton, Kozlowski, Frecker, \& Fagerström, 1991
Measured: baseline
Automatic Cigarette Craving
Craving Automated Scale - Cigarette Smoking (CAS-CS), Tan et al., 2022
Measured: baseline
Smoking Consequences
Smoking Consequences Questionnaire (SCQ), Lewis-Esquerre, Rodrigue, \& Kahler, 2005
Measured: baseline
Drug Abuse
Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), Lam et al., 2015
Measured: baseline
Personality
NEO five factor inventory (NEO-FFI), Körner et al., 2008
Measured: baseline
Depression
Beck Depressions Inventar - II (BDI-II) Kühner, Bürger, Keller, \& Hautzinger, 2007
Measured: baseline
Anxiety
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI - trait Version), Spielberger, 1983
Measured: baseline
self-efficacy
Self-efficacy expectancy (SWE) Jerusalem \& Schwarzer, 1999
Measured: baseline
coping with stress
Brief COPE, Carver, Scheier, \& Weintraub, 1989
Measured: baseline
Inhibition capacity
Stop Signal Task (Sebastian et al., 2013)
Measured: baseline
Working Memory capacity
N-back Task (Charlet et al., 2014)
Measured: baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Apr 2024
- Study start31 Jan 2024
- Primary completion31 May 2024
- Study completion31 May 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AddictionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 756 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Sabine Vollstädt-Klein, Prof. Dr., Principal investigator, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06346353
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Chess Cognition SUD
- Status last verified
- Apr 2025
- First submitted
- 2 Feb 2023
- Last updated
- 1 May 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Substance Consumption, Personality, and Cognitive Functioning of Chess Players and Non-chess Players - an Online Survey
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06346353
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Chess Cognition SUD
- Conditions
- Addiction, Alcohol, Nicotine, Drugs, Personality, Depression
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 756 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Central Institute of Mental Health, MannheimUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 31 Jan 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this project is to find out if there is a difference in addictive behavior, personality traits, and cognitive abilities between chess players and non-chess players.
Detailed description
In the present planned study, tournament chess players will be compared with non-tournament chess playing individuals by means of an online survey. Among other things, the investigators want to investigate whether these groups of persons differ in various characteristics such as their consumption behavior (alcohol, tobacco, and drug use), their personality, their depressiveness and mood, or their cognitive abilities. The background is the question whether playing chess could be protective against substance use disorders or could mitigate the manifestation.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Chess players | – | –Chess players who play tournament chess and have a DWZ (deutsche Wertungszahl) and/or ELO rating |
| Non-chess players | – | –Non-chess players or hobby chess players who do not have a DWZ or ELO rating |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The survey is aimed at people who are at least 18 years old. There is no upper age limit. There is a division into two groups. Firstly, people who play chess in a club and have a DWZ (German rating). Secondly, there is a comparison group of people who do not play chess or only play chess as a hobby and therefore do not have a DWZ.
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- all persons from the age of 18 years
- Inclusion in the group of chess players is based on the existence of a DWZ.
- Sufficient ability to answer the questionnaires
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- None
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Substance Craving
Time frame: baseline
Mannheimer Craving Scale (MACS), Nakovics, Diehl, Geiselhart, \& Mann, 2009
Alcohol Use
Time frame: baseline
Alcohol Use Disorders Indentification Scale (AUDIT-C), Bohn, Babor, \& Kranzler, 1995
Automatic Alcohol Craving
Time frame: baseline
Craving Automated Scale - Alcohol (CAS-A), Vollstädt-Klein, Leménager, Jorde, Kiefer, \& Nakovics, 2015
Severity of Nicotine Dependence
Time frame: baseline
Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Heatherton, Kozlowski, Frecker, \& Fagerström, 1991
Automatic Cigarette Craving
Time frame: baseline
Craving Automated Scale - Cigarette Smoking (CAS-CS), Tan et al., 2022
Smoking Consequences
Time frame: baseline
Smoking Consequences Questionnaire (SCQ), Lewis-Esquerre, Rodrigue, \& Kahler, 2005
Drug Abuse
Time frame: baseline
Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), Lam et al., 2015
Personality
Time frame: baseline
NEO five factor inventory (NEO-FFI), Körner et al., 2008
Depression
Time frame: baseline
Beck Depressions Inventar - II (BDI-II) Kühner, Bürger, Keller, \& Hautzinger, 2007
Anxiety
Time frame: baseline
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI - trait Version), Spielberger, 1983
self-efficacy
Time frame: baseline
Self-efficacy expectancy (SWE) Jerusalem \& Schwarzer, 1999
coping with stress
Time frame: baseline
Brief COPE, Carver, Scheier, \& Weintraub, 1989
Inhibition capacity
Time frame: baseline
Stop Signal Task (Sebastian et al., 2013)
Working Memory capacity
Time frame: baseline
N-back Task (Charlet et al., 2014)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 May 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sabine Vollstädt-Klein, Prof. Dr. principal investigator
Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Addiction and Alcohol, run by Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim at 1 site in Germany.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Germany. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Substance Craving (time frame: baseline). The study lists 14 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 May 2025.