Personality and misconduct correlates of body modification and other cultural deviance markers

The personality and misconduct correlates of body modification (e.g., tattoos, piercings) and other markers of cultural deviance (Goth or provocative appearance) were examined in a sample of 279 undergraduate students. Participants completed a comprehensive battery of personality questionnaires and provided detailed self-reports of any unusual appearance markers. In addition, participants provided anonymous self-reports of five categories of misconduct. Three personality variables (openness to experience, subclinical psychopathy, and low self-esteem) independently predicted the likelihood of having deviance markers. After controlling for personality, however, the positive association between deviance markers and overall misconduct was eliminated. This finding undermines the allegation that acquiring deviance markers directly increases the likelihood of misconduct. One exception was a significant positive association between deviance markers and drug abuse that remained after controlling for personality. Our personality analysis provides a three-facet organizational framework for understanding the psychological significance of deviance markers.