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Mar 2011 30

by Keith Daniels

Moving into academia after a career in the field of “taking your clothes off on the internet” can be tricky, however tattoos might actually have an upside professionally. A 2010 study published in the journal Psychological Reports found that college instructors with visible tattoos are perceived more positively by undergraduate students.


[Leiko in Lesson Plan]

128 undergraduates’ perceptions of tattoos on a model described as a college instructor were assessed. They viewed one of four photographs of a tattooed or nontattooed female model. Students rated her on nine teaching-related characteristics. Analyses indicated that the presence of tattoos was associated with some positive changes in ratings.

Participants found the tattooed instructor more motivating and were more likely to recommend him or her to other students. Oddly enough, students also felt that a professor with barbed-wire or cross tattoos was more imaginative. The effects of nautical stars or totally sweet tribals were not studied.

Hat-tip: NCBI ROFL.

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