Pupils Perceive Tattooed Professors Positively

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.

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[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.


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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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