Dating someone new? Interviewing for a job? No matter your circumstances, it may be time to start paying attention to how the people around you order their coffee.
A just-in-time-for-Halloween study published in the journal Appetite revealed that people who like their coffee black are more likely to possess anti-social and psychopathic personality traits.
[A moment for you to recall the people in your life who enjoy their coffee black.]
The research, which comes from the University of Innsbruck in Austria, examined the taste preferences of about 1,000 people, finding those who preferred more bitter notes in foods like black coffee scored higher on a series personality questionnaires that assessed Machiavellianism, a term used in psychology to describe personalities that are dark, psychopathic, narcissistic and sadistic.
Um... yikes.
The study also notes that participants who reported a fondness for other bitter foods like radishes, celery and tonic water were also more likely to exhibit psychopathic traits.
From the standpoint of physical health, ordering your morning cup free of milk and sugar earns two thumbs up. Coffee provides some major proven benefits as varied as increased feelings of happiness, decreased risk for some cancers, and improved brain function. Straight black coffee-drinkers are reaping the benefits without consuming added calories and fat.
So, then, what does this all mean? Not much -- at least not yet. The study size was small and the data self-reported, a notoriously unreliable metric. Other research has found that food preference changes over time, so while a person may detest radishes (or bitter coffee) at one point in their lives, they may crave them during another. Still, the researchers hope this novel look at the connection between personality and eating behavior will lead to further study.
But just in case, we've made you a survey to print out and bring to all future first-dates. Why waste your time, right?
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