Freelance Writing Jobs | Today's Articles | Sign In

Articles
Writers

What Tattoos Say About Who You Are

Antisocial Personality Disorder, & Why Women Regret Getting Tattoos

Jul 23, 2008 Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Tattoos may reveal personality characteristics. New research shows that forensic patients with tattoos are more likely to have antisocial personality disorder.

This research about tattoos and personality was recently published in the journal Personality and Mental Health.

What Tattoos Reveal about Personality

Psychiatrists from the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry studied 36 male inpatients, and found a link between tattoos and antisocial personality disorder. Further, these psychiatrists found that suicide attempts, substance abuse, and sexual abuse may be more common in forensic psychiatric inpatients with tattoos.

"Our findings suggest that forensic psychiatric inpatients with tattoos are significantly more likely to suffer from antisocial personality disorder than those without tattoos, and patients with antisocial personality disorder were also significantly more likely to have higher numbers of tattoos, a larger percentage of their body covered with tattoos, and tended to have tattoos in more visible locations" said lead researcher Dr. William Cardasis of the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry. "I hope that this provides clues for clinicians to look for ASPD in forensic psychiatric patients with tattoos, and also to look for signs of suicide attempt, substance abuse, and sexual abuse."

"One should keep in mind that the population studied was only a small segment of the population, and not indicative of what may or may not be relevant in the general population," added Cardasis. "Other interesting questions which this research raises include whether adolescents with tattoos are more likely to conduct disorder than those without, and what effect the meaning and subject content of the tattoo has."

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of empathy and remorse, a low tolerance for anxiety, and shallowness. People with antisocial personality disorder prefer action to thought. Lying, cheating, stealing, physical aggression and drug abuse are also linked to people with antisocial personality disorder.

Why Women Regret Getting Tattoos but Men Don’t

New research shows that women face more social stigma than men regarding tattoos. Women with tattoos are more likely to have them removed because of embarrassment, body image, or career concerns.

Researchers from Texas Tech University found that women with tattoos are more than twice as likely to have them removed (as compared to men with tattoos). Most women are happy with tattoos when they get them, but their feelings changed within the next one to five years.

In this study, women found that tattoos began to cause embarrassment, and stopped being a source of uniqueness. Women with tattoos often have to hide them, which limits clothing options and increases feelings of self-consciousness.

If you found What Tattoos Reveal About Personality interesting, try:

Source of tattoos, personality traits, and antisocial personality disorder research: “Psychiatric Forensic Patients With Tattoos More Likely To Have Antisocial Personality Disorder.” ScienceDaily.

Source of women regretting tattoos research: “Think Before You Ink: Women More Likely Than Men to Regret, Remove Tattoos.” CNN Health News.

The copyright of the article What Tattoos Say About Who You Are in Psychology is owned by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen. Permission to republish What Tattoos Say About Who You Are in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Tattoos & Personality Traits, stock xchange jenikahycc Tattoos & Personality Traits
   

Comments

Feb 8, 2009 8:07 AM
Guest :
I'm ecstatic that this study and information has come out in public. It brings to light, the psyche that is behind the reason for people to have a need for tattoos.
Feb 22, 2009 8:29 AM
Guest :
Has anyone considered the fact that this study was only done on inpatients? as in, people who we know already have issues? I have 8 tattoos, and have had (so far, i'll concede) no psychological issues of merit. I'm an ordinary, 20 year old psychology student in the north of England, 8 tattoos, no mental issues.
It strikes me that this study hardly has any validity given that it as only done on people who already have issues to begin with, as Cardasis states. Perhaps further study is needed to include the general populus of people who hve tattoos and AREN'T psychiatric inpatients to begin with.
Oct 9, 2009 5:11 PM
Guest :
They should have pointed out not all antisocials are serial murderers but most serial murderers have antisocial personality traits or the disorder itself.
You can also say not all people with tattoos are troubled but many troubled people have tattoos.
Tattoos are way too socially acceptable anymore to have the bad connotations they did 40 years ago in the period of American sociology where everyone tried to live in a utopia after WWII which didn't work (hello 1960's!) Not to mention the fact tattoos are ancient and very important in many parts of the world as a right of passage!
3 Comments
;