LIFE & CULTURE

Study Finds Psychopaths Drink Their Coffee Black

Know any long black lovers?

If you prefer your coffee black, you’ve probably come to terms with a number of things by now:

1. You prefer strong flavours

2. You take good care of your health

3. You just want to drink coffee the way it’s supposed to be drunk

or according to a recent study, you’re number 4: A psychopath.

Published in the journal Appetite, the findings discovered a correlation between a love of black coffee and sadist or psychopathic tendencies.

The research surveyed more than 1,000 adults, asking them to give their food and flavour preferences. The participants then took a series of personality tests assessing antisocial personality traits, such as sadism, narcissism and psychopathy. 

The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Innsbruck, found that a preference for bitter flavours was linked to psychopathic behaviour.

The closest association was between bitter foods and “everyday sadism” – that is to say, enjoyment of inflicting moderate levels of pain on others. 

Weird.

And, it’s not just black coffee that should set off alarm bells. The study also found participants who took a liking to celery, radishes and tonic water were also likely to exhibit antisocial traits. 

This is not the first study that has found a link between taste and personality, either.

Researchers Christina Sagioglou and Tobias Greitemeyer showed links between sweet taste experiences and “agreeableness”, while bitter tastes increased hostility and harsh moral judgements. 

So, next time you’re out with a friend and they unsuspectingly order a black coffee – you’ve been warned.  

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