Does A Sweet Tooth Equal A Sweet Personality?

Does A Sweet Tooth Equal A Sweet Personality?
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American researchers have discovered that the sweeter your tooth, the "sweeter" you're likely to be.

Researchers from Gettysburg College, St. Xavier University in Chicago and North Dakota State University found that those who favoured sugary foods were more inclined to volunteer, help others in need and are more agreeable than those who shun the sweet stuff.

The study of 500 people involved testing their agreeability and sweetness levels. They found that those who ate a piece of chocolate rather than a non-sweet food, were more agreeable and generally friendlier.

They also found a link between the word 'sweet' being used to describe a person's personality and the their preference for sweet tasting food.

"It is striking that helpful and friendly people are considered 'sweet' because taste would seem to have little in common with personality or behaviour," says Brian Meiers, a psychology professor at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

"Our taste studies controlled for positive mood, so the effects we found are not due to the happy or rewarding feeling one may have after eating a sweet food."

Another study conducted by the same researcher, echoes these findings, after they showed participants images of people with neutral facial expressions, but with comments underneath saying that they liked chocolate. "People rated those associated with sweet food higher in agreeableness," added professor Meiers.

The study was published in the journal of Personality Social Psychology and didn't focus on other tastes, such as bitterness and spiciness.