With Halloween around the corner, parents are fretting over what all that candy will do to their little goblins. Well, it might just make them sweeter. Because people who prefer sugary snacks actually seem to be more kind. So says a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (Brian Meier et al., "Sweet taste preferences and experiences predict prosocial inferences, personalities, and behaviors")

      We often describe personality or behavior with taste-related terms. Think of someone who's bitter, or sour or maybe even a little picante. But do our tastes in food really reflect who we are?

      Scientists looked for a link between a love of sweet things and the tendency to be generous or generally agreeable. College students answered a series of questions about their character—whether, for example, they're soft-hearted or enjoy insulting people. Then they rated their liking for a variety of foods, from cake and ice cream to cranberries, sauerkraut and salsa. And it turns out that kids with a sweet tooth see themselves as sweet.

      And maybe they are. Those that liked candy more than crackers were more likely to volunteer around campus or for additional studies. So if you're looking to score a little milk of human kindness, try putting out a plate of cookies.

      万圣节将至，爸爸妈妈们开始发愁，不知道糖果究竟能给他们的小精灵们带来些啥。其实啊，这些糖果或许只有一个作用，就是会让他们变得更“甜”。《个性与社会心理学》杂志的一篇研究显示，喜欢甜食的人似乎会更加友善。

      人们总喜欢用与“味道”相关的词语来描述一个的个性或者行为。比如“刻薄”，“尖酸”或者“小泼辣”。人们对味道的偏好真的能反映出个性吗？

      科学家们在找寻“爱吃甜食”和“性格温和甜美”之间的联系。他们邀请了一些学生参加测试，他们首先要回答关于自己性格特征一些问题：比如，是否心肠软，是否喜欢辱骂他人。之后，要根据自己的喜好程度对一些食物进行打分，这些食物包括蛋糕，冰淇淋，越橘，泡菜和沙司。研究显示，那些喜欢甜食的孩子会把自己看成是“小甜心”

      或许他们真的是吧。那些喜欢糖果胜过薄脆饼的孩子更愿意参加校园周边的志愿活动或者进行额外的研究。所以如果你想让自己不那么友善，就戒掉一盘甜饼干吧。