The more tattooed skin someone has, the stronger certain personality traits may be

By Vijay Kumar MalesuReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Mar 9 2026

New research suggests that while having a tattoo is associated with slightly higher levels of impulsivity, the extent of tattoo coverage may reveal subtle links with antagonistic personality tendencies, offering new insight into how body art relates to individual differences in behavior.

Study: Associations between tattooed body surface area and maladaptive personality traits in a community sample. Image Credit: Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, a group of researchers examined whether the presence and extent of tattoos, measured as the percentage of tattooed body surface area (tBSA), are associated with maladaptive personality traits in adults.

Tattoos and personality: exploring a modern psychological question

Tattoos have become a common form of self-expression worldwide, with surveys suggesting that more than half of young adults now have at least one tattoo. While tattoos were once linked to deviance or psychiatric disturbance, modern research shows a more complex picture. Tattoos can reflect a person’s identity, culture, personal memories, or style.

However, some studies have linked tattooing to personality characteristics such as impulsivity and risk-taking behaviors. Understanding whether tattooing is associated with maladaptive personality traits may help clarify its psychological meaning in contemporary society. Further research is needed to explore whether the extent of tattoo coverage reflects specific personality tendencies.

Community-based study measures tattoo coverage and personality traits

Researchers conducted a community-based study involving 280 adults aged 18 to 64 in Cyprus. Participants were recruited from university settings and nearby public locations such as cafés. All participants, with and without tattoos, provided informed consent to complete a questionnaire that collected information on their demographic characteristics, personality traits, and tattoos.

Maladaptive traits were assessed using the Personality Inventory for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Brief Form (PID-5-BF), a self-report measure that includes 25 items measuring five distinct personality domains: Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism. Each item was rated on a four-point scale ranging from “very false or often false” to “very true or often true.” Higher scores indicated stronger expression of maladaptive personality traits.

Tattoo characteristics were measured using a specially developed Tattoo Coverage Tool (TCT). Participants reported the number of tattoos and shaded tattooed areas on front and back body maps. The maps contained a grid of 1,099 squares, allowing researchers to estimate the tBSA. Squares at least half-covered were counted as tattooed, and partial areas were combined to estimate additional coverage. The total tattoo coverage was calculated as the proportion of tattooed squares relative to the entire grid. The statistical analyses included group comparisons, correlations, and regression models adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Tattooed participants show higher impulsivity-related personality scores

Among the 280 adults who participated in the study, 164 individuals (58.6%) reported having at least one tattoo, while 116 participants (41.4%) reported none. The average age of participants was 28 years, and participants included both men and women from a range of educational and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The tattooed and non-tattooed participants were initially compared with one another. The results showed that tattooed participants scored higher on the Disinhibition personality domain, indicating greater impulsive tendencies. For tattooed participants, the average Disinhibition score was 5.84, and for non-tattooed individuals, 4.33. Tattooed individuals also showed slightly higher overall scores on the PID-5-BF measure of maladaptive personality traits. No significant differences were observed between the tattooed and non-tattooed groups in the domains of Antagonism, Detachment, or Negative Affectivity.

Greater tattoo coverage is linked with antagonism and risk-taking traits

Researchers also examined the association between tattoo coverage and personality, as well as the percentage of tBSA. This approach provided a more detailed measure of tattoo involvement than simply counting tattoos. The analyses showed that individuals with greater tattoo coverage tended to score higher on the Antagonism and Disinhibition personality domains, rather than tattooed individuals generally scoring higher on these traits. Antagonism reflects traits such as hostility, callousness, and a tendency toward interpersonal conflict, while Disinhibition reflects impulsive or risk-taking tendencies.

Statistical correlations indicated that tBSA had a moderate positive association with Antagonism and a smaller positive association with Disinhibition. The overall PID-5-BF score, representing total maladaptive personality trait load, was also positively related to tattoo coverage. In contrast, tattoo coverage was not significantly related to Negative Affectivity or Detachment.

Body surface coverage may reveal more than simply counting tattoos

Interestingly, the number of tattoos alone showed weaker associations with personality traits than tBSA. For example, the tattoo count was only weakly related to Disinhibition and Psychoticism. This finding suggests that the extent of body tattooing may provide a more meaningful psychological indicator than simply the number of tattoos a person has.

Regression analyses further clarified these relationships. When Antagonism and Disinhibition were examined separately, each trait significantly predicted greater tattoo coverage. Antagonism explained about 6.8% of the variation in tattoo coverage, while Disinhibition explained about 4.6%. However, when both traits were entered together into the same statistical model, Antagonism remained the strongest predictor, while the effect of Disinhibition weakened.

The final statistical model explained about 9% of the total variation in tattoo coverage. These results suggest that antagonistic personality traits may be particularly linked with greater tattoo coverage, even after accounting for demographic influences.

Tattoos reflect personality expression rather than psychological disorder

This study found that tattooed individuals in the general population tend to show slightly higher levels of impulsive personality traits, particularly Disinhibition. More importantly, the extent of tattoo coverage across the body was associated with maladaptive personality traits, especially Antagonism. Measuring tattoo involvement using the percentage of tBSA proved more informative than simply counting tattoos.

However, the effects observed were modest, indicating that tattoos alone should not be interpreted as signs of psychological disorder, but rather as expressions shaped by personality traits, culture, and self-expression. Future research should examine these relationships using longitudinal and multi-method approaches.