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Topics: Psychology, Sex and Relationships, Science, Community
Joe Yates
Topics: Psychology, Sex and Relationships, Science, Community
We've all got our types when it comes to dating, some people like blonds, others are more interested in how much money someone earns or what job they have.
But according to a new study, those that are too picky may be showing narcissistic traits.
I'll paint the picture.
You're on nice date with someone who at first ticks all the boxes, but as you go further into the evening, you realise that they are speaking with food in their mouth.
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Of course, table manners are important but still it's something minor. The night continues and while you've enjoyed each other's company, that one thing was enough to give you the 'ick'.
We're all familiar with the term, it refers to a feeling of disgust from something that your partner does, wears or even says.
But researchers behind a paper that has been published in Personality and Individual Differences, titled 'The ick: Disgust sensitivity, narcissism, and perfectionism in mate choice thresholds', believe it could be a telltale sign to determine whether someone is a narcissist.
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Out of a pool of 74 men and 51 women, all between the ages of 24 and 72, they discovered that women were more likely than men to be familiar with the term, 63 percent versus 39 percent.
While females were also more likely to have experienced the ick, with three in four women claiming that they had, compared to around two in three men - or 75 percent female participants and 57 percent of male respondents.
"Greater disgust sensitivity was associated with both the likelihood and frequency of experiencing the ick, suggesting that heightened aversion to minor partner cues may shape mate rejection thresholds," the abstract reads.
"Narcissism correlated with the likelihood—but not frequency—of experiencing the ick, indicating that narcissistic people may selectively reject partners based on specific perceived flaws."
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However, just because you get the ick doesn't mean you're a narcissist, it just hints at the possibility that you are.
The team of scientists behind the paper also looked at perfectionism. They wrote: "Perfectionism was associated with both likelihood and frequency, suggesting that people with rigid standards experience the ick more often.
"Findings suggest that while the ick may help people identify potential mate incompatibilities, it may also lead to overly rigid rejection standards."
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The analysis also revealed that 42 percent of participants decided to stop dating their partner at a later point after acknowledging something that gave them the ick, with 26 percent reported to having actually ended a relationship immediately after.
While 32 percent of people continued to date the person despite the ick.
Of all those who experienced the ick, an overwhelming 92 percent of people disclosed their experience with someone else - although only 28 percent of those actually told the person directly.