Overview

• Michigan State researchers photographed 375 tattoos from 274 adults and enlisted 30 psychology-trained raters to assess personality from the images alone.
• Raters showed strong agreement in linking visual cues—such as size, quality and imagery—to traits like agreeableness and extraversion, underscoring the power of snap judgments.
• Comparisons with participants’ self-reported Big Five scores revealed low accuracy for agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion and neuroticism.
• Observers could modestly identify openness to experience in individuals sporting unconventional or quirky tattoos, making it the sole trait with reliable accuracy.
• The findings highlight the persistence of visual stereotypes in first impressions and call for further research on how shifting cultural norms around body art may alter future perceptions.