Differences in personality characteristics between body‐modified and non‐modified individuals: associations with individual personality traits and their possible evolutionary implications

Abstract

After a long history of negative stigmatisation, the practices of tattooing and body piercing have become fashionable in the last decade. Today, 10% of the population in modern western societies have some form of body modification. The aim of this study was to quantify the demographic and personality traits of tattooed and pierced individuals and to compare them with a control group of individuals without body modifications. These comparisons are based on questionnaires completed by 359 individuals that investigate the details of body modification, and which incorporate five personality scales. We describe several sex differences in ornament style and location. We found no relevant differences between modified and non‐modified individuals in relation to demographic variables. This indicates that some of the traditional attitudes towards tattoos and piercings appear to be outdated. However, we found striking differences in personality traits which suggest that body‐modified individuals are greater sensation seekers and follow a more unrestricted mating strategy than their non‐modified contemporaries. We discuss these differences in light of a potential signalling function of tattoos and piercings in the mating context. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PREVALENCE AND ACCEPTANCE OF TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS: A SURVEY OF YOUNG ADULTS FROM THE SOUTHERN GERMAN-SPEAKING AREA OF CENTRAL EUROPE1

“…In general, these prevalence rates are consistent with previous work showing that body piercings and tattoos are fairly common among the general population in Western countries, particularly among younger age groups (e.g., Forbes, 2001;Makkai & McAllister, 2001;Brooks, et al, 2003;Mayers, et al, 2003;Armstrong, et al, 2004;Laumann & Derick, 2006). Indeed, the prevalence rates of piercings and tattoos in the present study were very similar to those reported in neighboring Austria (see Wohlrab, et al, 2007).…”

“…In terms of body piercings, prevalence reports have ranged between 4 and 56% (Carroll, et al, 2002;Brooks, Woods, Knight, & Shrier, 2003;Mayers, Moriarty, Judelson, & Rundell, 2003;Armstrong, Roberts, Owen, & Koch, 2004;Laumann & Derick, 2006;Skegg, Nada-Raja, Paul, & Skegg, 2007;Wohlrab, Stahl, Rammsayer, & Kappeler, 2007). Among a representative sample of British adults, for example, one survey estimated that 10% of all respondents had piercings at sites other than the earlobe (Bone, Ncube, Nichols, & Noah, 2008).…”

Visual Attention to Plain and Ornamented Human Bodies: An Eye-Tracking Study

“…In other words, when tattoos were more common in men, tattoos in women were unusual and so drew more attention from the respondent. Moreover, the locations for the tattoos are commonly used for real tattoos in men as well as women (Wohlrab, et al, 2007). Moreover, the locations for the tattoos are commonly used for real tattoos in men as well as women (Wohlrab, et al, 2007).…”

Understanding Differences in Mental Health History and Behavioral Choices in a Community Sample of Individuals with and without Body Modifications

“…Modified individuals were assessed as being higher on measures of autonomy, with women also being higher in impulsivity (Manuel and Sheehan 2007). Associations between the Big 5 personality factors and body modifications found that tattooed individuals had lower scores on Agreeableness and higher scores on Openness to Experience (Nathanson, Paulhus, and Williams 2006) while another study found the same correlation with Agreeableness but no difference on Openness to Experience (Wohlrab et al 2007).…”