People who cover themselves in tattoos are more reckless than those who choose not to ink their skin, a study has found.
Research carried out by an economist from McMaster University in Canada, found that people with visible tats are more likely to act hastily and won't consider the consequences of their actions.
The study surveyed 781 people without tattoos and 255 with tattoos, including 68 people whose ink is visible while they're fully clothed.
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The aim was to measure how 'future-oriented' or short-sighted participants were.
Economist Bradley Ruffle wanted to carry out the research because even though numerous studies have found that employers and society at large discriminate against people with body art, tattoos themselves have risen in popularity in recent years.
According to one study, nearly a third of 25 to 39-year-olds in Britain have a tattoo, while a fifth of the population as a whole have one.
Professor Ruffle's research, published in the Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organization, therefore, wanted to find out why many people 'affix a visible stigma to one's identity'.
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Speaking to the Times, he said: "I'm an economist. From an economic perspective this decision to have a tattoo is puzzling.
"Tattoos are about making some kind of statement. But why not just dye your hair or get a personalised T-shirt you can remove?"
During the piece of research, participants took part in an economic game. They were given two options: receiving a dollar (60p) in 18 hours or a larger sum, steadily increasing from $1.05 (65p) to $2.50 (£1.50), in three weeks.
Interestingly, researchers found the second option, involving deferred gratification, became more attractive to people without tattoos.
Participants with visible tats required $2 (£1.20) to reach the same decision, and also behaved more irrationally afterwards - even switching back to the first option at higher amounts.
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Following the findings, professor Ruffle said he hoped they 'might give pause' to people who may be considering getting a tattoo.
However, he was clear to point out that impulsiveness was not necessarily a negative personality trait.
He said: "Sometimes it's good to make decisions fast. If you're a professional basketball player and you need to decide whether to shoot or pass, you don't want someone who stands there and deliberates."
Featured Image Credit: PA