According to a new study, those having a sweet tooth tend to be friendlier. Volunteers who preferred chocolate over a non-sweet food item were found to have a joyous character.

It was found that the most dominant trait these chocolate lovers have is the fondness for helping others in need. However, it is still arguable whether it was due to chocolate’s mood-enhancing effect or just a natural inclination of the recipient. So don’t get too frantic about having chocolates just yet.

"Our taste studies controlled for positive mood so the effects we found are not due to the happy or rewarding feeling one may have after eating a sweet food," said Brian Meiers, a psychology professor at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

The five studies of sweetness and agreeability was conducted by researchers at Gettysburg College, St. Xavier University in Chicago and North Dakota State University with a sample of over 500. "It is striking that helpful and friendly people are considered 'sweet' because taste would seem to have little in common with personality or behavior," Meiers added.

In one of the five studies done, researchers learned that people stereotype those who love sweets as agreeable persons compared to those who don’t. "People rated those associated with sweet food higher in agreeableness," Meiers said.

That verdict was made just by looking at photos of people, whom they have never even met, making neutral facial expressions. Given below the pictures are brief descriptions of them, like whether they enjoyed eating chocolate or not.

"There has been a push to find out how these traits are self-predicting of what we do with our daily life," Sarah Moeller, a psychology professor at St. Xavier University. "We are showing that with these personality traits that you show subtle aspect of self," she added. The research was published in the Journal of Personality Social Psychology.

There, now self proclaimed sweet-o-holics have more reasons to have their sweet treats. I, for one, would love to be deemed sweet. Like, who doesn't?!

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Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

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