Psychopathy is not nearly as uncommon as we tend to think it is. Many of us are surrounded by, and possibly ourselves are psychologically pathological. And in a world like this, I wish there was a simple way to identify the psychopaths from the rest. Well, no more wishing necessary.
The fine researchers at Innsbruck University in Austria have discovered in two studies that the preference for bitter tastes – including that of gin – are closely associated with anti-social personality traits in an individual.
According to this study, a keenness for bitter food and drinks such as coffee, dark chocolate and gin-and-tonic among other things represents a tendency for psychological abnormalities.
While the malevolent traits that such a preference reflects included several psychological conditions from narcissism to aggression, a far more robust co-relation was found with traits like sadism and psychopathy.
The experiments that led lead researcher Christina Sagioglou to this finding, involved 1,000 participants who examined a long list of food and drinks followed by personality questionnaires to gauge their anti-social tendencies.
Sagioglou explained that the more fearless and psychopathic an individual, the less likely they were to be put off by bitter tasting things. The brain associates such tastes with wild and poisonous foods, but psychopaths are supposedly attracted by this very quality.
So uh, not to point any fingers, but in case you happen to know a gin-drinker, watch out. I guess you can officially never fully trust them now!
Masthead source: Serious Eats, Feature sources: Recipes Hubs, Valentina’s Quadroni