Large Tattoos and Personality: which Women are at Risk?

Introduction: A selective cross-sectional study of tattooed individuals investigated how personality traits influence the reasons for tattoos.

Methods: Data were based on a survey of 803 tattooed women (aged 16-57 years). All subjects completed the Big Five personality test and a risk-taking test and provided answers to questions about their tattoos.

Results: Extraverts had a greater extent of tattooed skin area than introverts. No correlation was found comparing the willingness to take risks, conscientiousness, agreeableness and extent of the tattooed skin area size. Openness positively correlated with the size of the tattooed skin areas. Neurotic people had a smaller extent of tattooed skin area than emotionally stable participants. Extraversion positively correlated with the tattoo design of individuality. Openness positively correlated with sexual motivations. No correlations were noticed for agreeableness or group affiliations. Neuroticism did not correlate with spiritual and cultural traditions of tattoos. Conscientiousness did not correlate with tattoos as markings of life events. Risk-taking positively correlated with driven-to-the-limits experiences.

Discussion: Individual personality traits have an influence on the motivation for getting tattoos as well as on the size of the area of tattooed skin.

Keywords: Tattoos; personality; risk-taking; tattoo size.