A new study conducted by the University of Innsbruck, Austria has some interesting results. In the study, researchers Christina Sagioglou and Tobias Greitemeyer interviewed 1000 men and women.

First, they questioned participants on their taste preferences. Both beverages and foods were included on the lists of likes and dislikes. Those polled ranked their choices on a scale from one to six.

Once they finished that portion of the study, the participants took a detailed personality test.

“The present research has demonstrated that bitter taste preferences are associated with more pronounced malevolent personality traits, especially robustly with everyday sadism,” wrote the authors of the study.

Those who exhibited borderline personality traits more favored bitter, black coffee or other intense, pungent, or astringent flavors.

Flavors like bitter beers, tonic water, pungent cheeses, or foods with high acidic notes were among those favored by those testers who risked becoming or already were psychopaths.

On the other hand, people who preferred sweeter, milder flavors are more sympathetic and understanding according to the study.

While the study points to some intriguing coincidental discoveries, there is no other data which definitively links the two traits – taste and personality, so more testing is needed.

It is fascinating to think our personal food preferences reveal more about us than we think. I don’t think we will write off our friends who take their coffee black, but we may give their personality a second look and wonder. We kid, of course!