GOOD GENES? Men with body decorations exhibit greater symmetry.
Image: COURTESY OF MARC PINTO
When surveyed, most people say they get tattoos or unconventional piercings to express individuality. But could something more psychologically primal be afoot? Researchers at the University of Wroclaw in Poland measured about 200 men and women—half of them inked or pierced in places other than their earlobes—for body symmetry, or how similar their right and left sides are. (More similarity indicates genetic health and is associated with sexual attractiveness.)
Among the research subjects, men with bodily decorations exhibited greater symmetry than those without, whereas no differences emerged in women. Because people who are less symmetric did not opt more often for tattoos and piercings, researchers rejected one widely held hypothesis that suggested people use physical graffiti to hide or distract from imperfections in their appearance.
The results jibe with a different theory—getting stuck with needles can endanger one’s health via infections, so the study supports the evolutionary “handicap” theory that only those with high biological quality can afford such risky behavior. The impulse to get inked may be a risk-taking behavior inherited from ancestors who were strong enough to endure injuries and survive—as opposed to those whose ancestors survived by avoiding risk and injury. Therefore, at least in men, body art could serve as an “honest” signal of fitness in the Darwinian sense. So maybe that’s why pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies.
This article was originally published with the title Survival of the Tattooed and Pierced?.
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55 Comments
Add CommentHaving received and read this and other articles in the print issue, I'm beginning to fear that the magazine is being taken over by the type of evolutionary psychologist most likely to conclude that Shinola feeds an evolutionary need for shit.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBull - I would not take that on a student's responce without data. Otherwise it is words in the air. Symmetry my word! Here's a better one:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThey find themselves inadequate so they attempt to compensate with freakish behaviors in the name of self expression. The behavior is rooted in a desire to be different and unique as they as quite mundane in their apearance even after the body defacings.
dhisrael - Are you a psychologist? How many research studies on this topic have you conducted? If the answers are 'no' and 'none' then your comment is nothing more than what you describe as 'words in the air.'
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn no way am I saying that this article is full of truth, but I don't feel that I am in any place to judge what other people choose to do to themselves. It pisses me off when people have the audacity to be so quick to criticize without an ounce of intelligence, basing their comments on nothing more than personal opinion. Personal opinion is NOT data.
Although it is becoming more common and more accepted among the mainstream, for many of us it is seen as just a variation on the "self-mutilation" associated with mental illness. Graffiti doesn't look good on buildings or on people.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlthough the practice is becoming more common and more accepted among mainstream Americans, many of us see it as a variation on the self-mutilation associated with mental illness. Graffiti doesn't look good on buildings or on humans.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo all the Ed Hardy types and clone-esque hipsters are really the ruling genetic-class ?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll hail Evanescence
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this*for many of us it is seen as just a variation on the "self-mutilation" associated with mental illness*
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs someone else posted, I think it's quite the contrary, usually very "normal" people with a need to be more unique. Nothing to do with "mental illness". That seems like a 50s mindset.
As an educated (college degree) woman, with 3 rather large tattoos, I disagree with all of the above, not that there isn't any merit to any of it. Mine are all symbols of how I see myself. Not to fit into any predicted genre or way of being. If I feel like displaying them, I do, if it would be considered bad taste to do so, I don't.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am quite interested in the subject of tatooing as a form of self expression and identity. Where can I find a good scholarly research on the topic, that will consider different theories on the theme, please?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe problem here is that they are confusing genes with memes. If there were an evolutionary factor at work, it would be genetic and thus inheritable. You would have to look to the ancestry to find patterns of this behavior. As far as I know, no such study has been done. Without that data, any speculation about the evolutionary cause of the behavior is just that, speculation. dhisrael is right. Without data, anyone can speculate about anything and the "qualifications" of the writers are irrelevant. My guess is that dhisrael's suggestion was a bit tongue-in-cheek just to make that point and didn't intend for that to be taken as a real hypothesis.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh, and i agree with Margaretrena. "Graffiti doesn't look good on buildings or on humans." But it seems that I'm the minority in my demographic......which raises an interesting thought. When I look at the "fitness" of the people I know with multiple piercings and body art, it seems to me that the reverse is true. The higher the education and financial well-being of the individual, the less I see this behavior. And we all know of the studies that equate the "better looking" and "healthier" people with greater income and success. Of course, this isn't a study but a local observation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am also curious about a connection between the "addictive genes" and these behaviors. We know that some people are genetically more likely to become addicted to things whether it be alcohol, drugs, smoking, or gambling. I want to know if this plays a factor in those who engage in multiple piercings and multiple tattoos.....especially those who cover t heir bodies.
There's no doubt that those sporting tattoos exhibit, in general, an increase in anti-social behaviors. As far as confident secure individualism goes - the argument that the adoption of a trend or fad that is permanent constitutes uniqueness and individuality is simply ridiculous!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThank God parachute pants and man-scara were only temporary! Be unique!!!
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.
"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."
Read more at Suite101: What Tattoos Say About Who You Are: Antisocial Personality Disorder, & Why Women Regret Getting Tattoos http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nUV8xPPAMwsJ:clinical-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_tattoos_say_about_who_you_are+psychology+of+tattoo&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us#ixzz0nGDJ3gP8
I think it's inherent in people to decorate the surfaces around us. Show me a home undecorated, and I'll show you a person truly suffering from mental illness.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat other surface are we more exposed to than our skin?
It seems to me tattoos, piercings, and body adornments are more a throwback to tribal identifications than anything else.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn modern western society it used to be sailors, or gang members, or groups of miscreants. Tattoos would show their tribal membership to those subcultures. Nowadays, it is more mainstream than that and much more "everyday".
Nonetheless, I wouls still to this day imagine one is more likely to have a tattoo if a number of their friends do than if their friends don't. (would be interesting to see data on this). There are definately certain groups that do this.
Even so much down to the style of the tattoo- your "sorority tribe" is more likely to have a butterfly or a flower to identify their tribe. The fantasy-fiction tribe will have their tattoos of dragons. Your gangster tribe would have their skulls, and "scary things".
Call this "self-expression", I see it more as "group expression" or rather a desire to identify oneself with their tribe.
If you look at non European cultures, and more primative cultures you'll see different peoples have different ways of adorning themselves to fit in and identify their peoples.
I doubt if you looked at data whether tattoo'ed people "get more partners" than non-tattoo'ed people it would add up.
I bet you're much more likely to see that people with certain styles of tattoos or adornments are friends and associate with other people that have similar styles.
utterly agreed!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisarpad from Hungary
Adam Smith points out an 'invisible hand' that says we all follow our wants to a group that represents us. So a tattoo wanting person seeks out tattooed friends and seeks out information... etc. My point being, your self expression is a group think. it is what you find labelling of yourself to be ok. Through your own sense of self, and through those eyes of your friends, (with whom you have expressed you can or can not show them off to) you judge yourself. That is a genre of being, social structures are not necesarily classified to your tastes, but you are still determined as in a way of being. Tattoos are a brand for something. Whatever that brand is to you doesn't matter. You are part of a group.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisperfect description,i utterly agree!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@Lluckya: Granted people like to decorate, but how does that explain people (mostly women in my observation) who get tattoos on their backs? They'll never see them. Any insight on this would be welcome--I know a young lady who is considering getting full-size (shoulder to waist) angel wings tattooed on her back, and I just don't see why.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI like my tats and holes. Isn't that enough? What other people think of them falls mostly into the "I really don't give a shit" file. Infact, often a person's reaction to my body decorations says a lot more about them than it does about me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@ ChrisJones agreed, and dido.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI work in IT (info sec) and have to deal with ridiculous business professional practices that I don't care about at all and have nothing to do with my job daily.
I even believe that one of the primary reasons for being "laid off" last year was because I didn't "fit in" which is utter shite.
I can understand if you are in sales or other business, but why should the people working behind the scenes have to adhere to a certain image? How I choose to decorate things is my own business, and how others react to it does indeed say a lot about them. I honestly don't know why I got tattoos and piercings, they make me happy, I felt compelled, I like to decorate... lots of reasons I guess. But I think it has been seen time and again that it is very human behavior, so why attempt to stifle it?
I have my eyebrow pierced twice, lip, several ear piercings and six tattoos.
But I also have a B.S. and am a graduate research assistant. So I don't think how someone looks really means anything definitely.
As a middle aged man that has returned to college, I am surrounded by young adults. Obviously, getting tattoos and piercings has risen in popularity and was nearly non existant when I was in my 20's. I really have a hard time understanding why they have become so popular. When I ask someone why they they want to get a tattoo they various meaningless things like: its cool, its sexy, etc. I have also heard the " for self expression" reason. Ultimatley, young people are acting like all young people in reagrds to fads. The problem is the semi-permanance of tattoos. I think back on my young adulthood (early 70's) and we expressed our selves primarily through clothing, long hair, marijuana, music etc. Fortunatly, when I matured I could put all of that behind me. What if wearing my hair down to my shoulders was a permanent decision? What if I had to keep smoking pot?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMaybe what we need some good science to find a way to make tattoos easy and inexpensive to remove (no scarring, or skin shadows, etc.) That way our young adults are not destined to live with these decision forever.
I got my foot tall Scales of Justice when I graduated from Law School at the tender age of 22 (started college at 16). 20 years later I got flame skulls, tombstones and a Grim Reaper to represent the deaths of my father and best friend, who both passed too early.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThose of you who call it "mutilation" probably color your hair, get implants, use make-up and dress in a certain manner because your ego (WRONGLY) thinks it makes you look better. Most of you are ugly, with or without your decorations. Traditional body covering is used to HIDE something. My tats are in honor of education and loved ones.
The fact that they are permanent means that I'm willing to make a commitment. My Iroquois ancestors were definitely tough enough to survive pain and injury, as the article suggests. If you are too much of a wuss to get one, THEN DON'T!!!! But if you want to judge me based on my tats, I would counter that you should instead look in the mirror and critique your own ego.
I have three friends that are very successful tattoo artists. We've discussed this quite a bit. I don't buy that tatoos are a valid medium for self-expression. When you see what most people are "expressing" (you're expressing some doodles?), you can only hope that they won't still be expressing it a year from then. ...but there it'll be. When you're 70, will you still be expressing that? Express with your words and your actions. All that tramp stamp expresses is that your ass has seen so much traffic there's graffiti on the walls. A clean, well kept body is beautiful. Like a used car, a used & abused body only makes me think the rest of you probably isn't in any better condition either. If you're "urban" it only makes it look like you weren't strong enough to pass through the city unfazed, that it got the better of you, beat you down, and left its mark(s) all over you. Mostly though, it makes me think you're a gullible trend-follower willing to do anything for social acceptance, even if it means permanently damage the only body you've got.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI've seen some amazing things tattoo'd on people. But as far as works of art go, if you wouldn't put the same design on canvas, I hold it in lesser regard.
My friends disagree. But I don't care.
am old enough to remember when the only people with tattoos were sailors and tribal warriors. Body mutilation takes various forms from the simple ear piercing for earrings through to whole body symbolic scarring of which tattoos are a relatively benign form.I for one have some doubts about the psychological stability of people who see the need to mutilate their bodies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt seemto have a lot to do with perceptions of cultural imperatives and the herd instinct which drives a lot of social behaviour. Whilst I unmutilated bodies are the norm, body piercing and tattoos have some basis as a form of demonstrable differentiation for people whose individual psychological make-up requires some form of visible symbolic demonstration of individuality. I suspect that if body piercing and tattoos became the norm, that this form of symbolic demonstration would probably take the form of an unmutilated body. Fashions wax and wane, and one would assume that this change in fashion, as is the norm, will diminish once its perceived value as a differentiator is exhausted.
Wow. I really expected more from a magazine with the name, "Science" in it. There doesn't appear to be anything scientific about this article at all. The degree of extrapolated explanation for a phenomena with little/no real evidence is building a bridge too far.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlease keep your pseudo-scientific thoughts to yourself. It seems that people get tattoos more as a form of self expression than out anything else. I'm not sure what kind of possible link there is with symmetry and the supposed "healthfulness" of an individual.
This is building houses of cards on top of other houses of cards.
Actually I think the whole tattoo / piercing trend is one of life's little intelligence tests. It also seems to be a bad score for my generation in terms of parenting. We are no longer able to say no to our children. Our culture continues to spiral downward...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@quincykim: Decorations are not meant just for us; often it is simply a way of presenting what we want others to think of us... In fact, I would argue that most decoration of any sort is really intended for others. We hang a painting and then become desensitized to it; only really looking at it when it's under the scrutiny of another person.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs far as tattoos in general are concerned; I feel that it's one thing to exercise disapproval of the tattoo itself, but it's narrow to condemn the whole of tattooing. What tattoos say about a person is never indicated by the mere fact that the tattoo exists, but truly determined by what the tattoo actually is...
Example: I have a vertical 0/0 tattooed on my forearm. I like math. I like the implications on logic and thinking from exercises like L'Hopital's Rule. Most people look at it and their eyes cross when I start to explain it, but when I enjoy it the most is when another math nerd sees it and a decent conversation ensues. Maybe there are other ways I could get this same effect; I could purchase a witty t-shirt, walk around saying things just to get an intellectual rise out of people, or interject myself into conversations with others who appear to be knowledgeable. Instead I chose a tattoo; perhaps people disagree with it, but it's something I have yet to feel a modicum of regret for.
As we have all learned, never judge a book by it cover. Many professionals, including myself, have tattoos. I am an Operations Manager with a BS in Computer Engineering and currently pursuing my Masters in Project Management and I am an Army National Guard member. I always hear the following when I show my tattoo to a new acquaintance: "I never would have thought you would have that!" I have an entire back piece. They are shocked, but they almost always have learned about my tattoos after they have known me for some time. As a final note, maybe myself and several others are helping to change the stereotypes of tattoos. Many of the people that have uttered the above phrase have a new opinion on people with tattoos.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDaughter of Odhin, I agree. My tattoos are reminders of who i am and where I come from, for me, not anyone else. I usually keep all of them covered. Most are symbols of my spiritual beliefs. One of them is a reminder of my military service, an eagle globe and anchor. And to the other poster, yes, grafitti does look good on buildings, if done in the form of murals by proper artists, they add brightness and color into austere and demure inner city and industrial areas. Perhaps things that are artistic or expressive are just scary or threatening to you in some way? Much like venomous snakes and poisonous insects often display brightly colored markings, maybe you're still subconsiously suspicious of such things, a carry over from days when human survival depended on such fears? Perhaps then other individuals, such as myself maybe and MILLIONS of other former, active duty, and reserve servicemen who aren't afraid of much of anything and are tattooed as much as the regs will allow them really are more evolved than you?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGreat I got very bad genes and I am going to get many unprofessional looking tattoos on strict hygiene conditions, so i'll get the benefit without the risks :-) What about having tattoos and correlation with the capability to extrapolate on future change in statistical taste ? An interesting ideas anyway, nut I think scares would work better to impress women because of healing capabilities :-) of course it would probably work much better 20'000 years ago :-) :-) :-) .... let's start some ritual scarification :-) by the way this could easily train you to cope with the dentist without pain killers saving poisonous :-) injection and their non negligible cost :-)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThose who survive their risk taking behavior may be strong but have to be lucky to survive the things they put themselves into. Takes brains to survive by avoiding trouble.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf the risk takers and avoiders are both survivors, why would either genetic heritage be considered the "higher quality"?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWeird people do weird things.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNot all smart people can use common sense.
Making your body look like you came from another planet.
It's enough to make most people feel sick and grossed out.
Who wants to look at you for 8 hours.
You don't care what anyone thinks.
AND you think your normal...everyone has a few...glitches, you are over the edge. There are lots of reasons people do that and none of them are healthy.
When people ask me what I look for in a man I usually think quietly to myself- symmetrical faces, proportional limbs, even musculature and low bmi and then respond men who play sports. My biological consciousness is very loud; and although I do not like tatoos, I have found that many of my biologically preferred choices have turned out to have them. I always thought that for certain people tatoos show a disregard towards social standards and imply a high level of self reliance.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs this a Scientific American article or in Teen Magazine article? Who the hell is funding these studies anyway?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article doesn't even begin to address the myriad social reasons someone may seek a tatoo, few of which have strong biological determinism.
So symmetrical people have a greater interest in tatooing their bodies? Who gives a shit? Good work SciAm, you got me to click on the link.
Has science journalism been reduced to a loud toddler's demented pleas for attention?
I knew it was only a matter of time before tattoo-covered,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisoften disease infected, shiftless, perpertually unemployed, drugged-out oddballs and freaks would be deemed to
be genetically superior to the boring, clean, conservative,
9-5, tradition-minded populace. I mean, what other
conclusion could one come to?
This "study" is just plain stupid. It immediately
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisassumes facial/body symmetry equals attractive.
Though there a studies to suggest that that is true to
some extent, symmetry is by no means the ONLY factor
in attractiveness. A woman can have perfectly symmetrical
crow's feet, perfectly symmetrical thin lips, perfectly
symmetrical ears that stick our like car doors, a perfectly symmetrical triple chin, and weigh 250 LBS with a perfectly
balanced 125 pounds on each side, and yet I seriously
doubt that all that symmetry will make her more 'sexually
attractive' than a skinny runway model with slightly
lopsided features.
Why not simply have independent raters judge
photos for sexual attractiveness, and use THAT
as the measure?
Wow. So all this article has proven is that evolutionary psychologists have low standards in what they consider to be valid scientific analysis and that the human population continues to earn the "self-righteous bigot" award. The truth is, tatoos are obtained for a myriad of reasons. To try and pinpoint one reason for all is just beyond preposterous. Why don't they try to explain why some men are "boob" men and some men are "ass" men with the same theory while they are at it. Some get tatoos to fit in. Some get tatoos to look tough. Some get them for group identity. Others get them because something significant happened in their lives that they want to honor or commemorate. It's for the same reasons that we display awards, pictures or place the urn of the ashes of mom or dad on the mantle. Humans are highly symbolic creatures. Everything means something to us. Our brains are constantly trying to find meaning in everything, even when there is none (Ghosthunters anyone?) Why do you wear a certain style of clothing? What makes one decorate contemporarily versus traditionally? Each has their own preferences which are determined by many things. Sadly, an open mind and tolerance still aren't among the human's strongest suites.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBased on what standard of high quality? This female much prefers the sight of a man who looks good and feels confident without plastering his body with disturbing images.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a female who has a high appreciation of quality in a male, I wonder by what standard the writer judged quality. I much prefer the high-quality work of the Creator, over the poor taste in artwork displayed by those guys who aren't satisfied with the way they came out of their mamas. I find much tattoo artwork disturbing and flat-out ugly. But it DOES let me know at a glance which men FAIL to meet my standards.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRight on.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe thinking exhibited in this article is rubbish, worthy of an article in The Onion, not Scientific American!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI find it odd that so many of you find piercings and tattoos odd. This sort of practice has occurred for thousands of years in a vast majority of cultures throughout the world. Like other signals they likely say something about status. However, there is no evolutionary basis for this signaling. This study and both hypotheses discussed, are total crap. Tattoos are not honest signals, they are not condition dependent, they are not heritable, and they contain no biological information about the bearer. Humans have experienced relatively low levels of sexual selection and thus have few adornments. With changes in social structure comes a need for adornments to signal status within a group, for intimidation of other groups, etc. This has nothing to do with evolution, bust should be left up to the sociologists.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisQuite right! And that is my point, there is no science here but opinion and we ALL have one! My critique was of the article not those engaged in the aberrant behaviors. They can do as they please but to offer-up such phlegm as science offends me. The magazine become no more that a Yellow magazine without the objective evaluation of data and scientific study. Peer-reviewed data is golden but absent from these pages. What is presented is not worthy of the title science . I am well published and do have a graduate degree in psychology, in physical therapy and advanced degrees in education. The point was rhetoric is bull as it is it as empty as the hot air of opinion. I think you and I agree.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWomen like "bad boys", as in "the sky is blue". So I can see how tattoos might help guys with the ladies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHowever, as far as what attracts a women to a man is concerned, I believe the opposite to usually be true. They are a harsh distraction from natural beauty and can be downright appalling, especially when you see a plethora of them on a very attractive women. Guys like women like Anjelina Jolie in spite of their tattoos, not because of them. Ladies there are plenty of ways to express yourself without ruining your beautiful skin like that.
Attracts a man to a woman I should say.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSymmetrical = attractiveness :: people with high degree of symmetry are used to thinking of themselves as attractive, maybe as a work of art, and thus can picture themselves as attractive if tattooed. To them attention is good. Less attractive people, on the other hand, are less likely to want to call attention to themselves, and less likely to think, gee I'd look *great* with a bunch of sharpie art all over my body!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSymmetrical = attractive. Attractive people like attention and are more likely to think they'd look great with a bunch of drawings on their skin. Unattractive people, OTOH, are less likely to want to call attention to themselves and to think tattoos would enhance their looks.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't buy the individuality and who I am arguments. It's about getting attention.
<i> So maybe that’s why pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies.</i>
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think it is more likely that rock stars do so well with the ladies because the rock stars have tons of money, are famous and are talented.
I have noticed that many toad-like men with money seem to attract quite beautiful young women.
It seems that most people are unaware of the forces that motivate their actions. From what I have learned and observed, tattooed and pierced individuals have a higher incidence of abuse.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs an artist, I understand the need for self-expression. However, wearing a mass produced tattoo that you picked from a book is not very unique.
Concerning Sciam, I'm disappointed with the cursory articles.
As an older person, I see the whole issue as primarily (but not always) evolutionary. What I have observed is one of the single most important traits in a man that a woman seeks is self-confidence. And the interpretation of that is purely subjective. Two women can see a man crying during a tear-jerker movie. One will interpret it as a sign of strength and self confidence that the man is not afraid to show his feelings, while the other will see it as an unquestionable sign of weakness. One woman may interpret a man who gets tattoos as having the self-confidence to buck social norms, while another may see it as someone not self-confident with themselves and trying to do something to fit-in with a particular group.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI would be interested in the outcome of a social experiment where college men and women (reproductive age) are questioned on their views about tattoos. Then put in a room where several very attractive woman show and verbalize approval for a man (a plant) with an obvious tattoo. And the opposite, where these woman show avoidance of the man and verbalize their dislike for men with tattoos.
After these situations, then ask the men again their opinions of tattoos. And that would show the subjectivity of men.
"...body piercing and tattoos have some basis as a form of demonstrable differentiation for people whose individual psychological make-up requires some form of visible symbolic demonstration of individuality."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDo you wear the same clothes everyday? Do you want to live in a society where everyone wears the same clothes as each other and people don't possess "some form of visible symbolic demonstration of individuality"? I don't! We're humans - part of that is recognizing that we are individuals and expressing that in various ways.
So many of these comments demonstrate such prejudice and ignorance about body art/modification (often labelled in these posts "mutilation").
I would hope that folks that seem to have some regard for science would recognize that their reactions are value judgments, and have no empirical weight. Perhaps a little anthropology would do them some good.
I for one have several tattoos honoring familial relationships, because they are the most important thing to me. I gladly endure the discomfort to obtain these markings, and they serve as visible, and permanent, reminders of my committment to my values - and as much as they state my values to others, their major purpose is to remind me always.
Judge away.
Really little to comment on here. very small sample; ages, paid or volunteers hanging out around the university; age when each tattoo was added; emotional well being(grief,depressed,threatened[no gang association]; normal,but stressful hormonal periods-teen to mid twenties; drunk, drugged, sober; in a stable relationship and employed or school; self concept testing; physical health(all checked for
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishepatitis and other diseases. What about another 100 sample
that were not very healthy or happy with their tattoos. Many of the comments support the opinion that this was a worthless filler that should be in a blog's entertainment section or news of the weird!What happens is that we start clicking on every other SciAm email if there's too much crap to sift through.
true, true...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this