If you get ‘the ick' often, you probably possess this negative personality trait — study says

Yahoo

12-05-2025

If you're someone who regularly gets the ick from someone you're dating — you might be a narcissist.
The term that refers to the feeling of disgust from something a romantic partner does, says or even wears has gone viral on social media in recent years.
And according to a study published in Personality and Individual Differences, those who experience this feeling often might possess personality traits that indicate narcissism.
For the study, researchers analyzed 74 men and 51 women, ranging in age from 24 to 72. They asked the participants if they knew what getting the ick meant and if they've ever experienced it.
The study then measured the 'likelihood of experiencing the ick in response to specific behaviors, completed personality assessments and answered questions about their dating experiences,' according to Psy Post.
Regarding the personality assessments participants took part in, those who showed narcsictic behavior were more likely to negatively react to a person's imperfections — especially if it contracticed what they want in a potential romantic partner.
The results of the study also indicated that women experience the ick more often compared to men — which isn't surprising considering adult females are 'more sensitive to grossness than males,' according to a scientific dive by NatGeo.
'Anything we are averse to, that we want to avoid, or that we shrink back from — including the ick — is controlled by this area of the brain [called the habenula],' Dr. Kyra Bobinet, a California behavioral neuroscientist and author of 'Unstoppable Brain,' told Fox News Digital.
'This area of your brain is scouting for anything that's not going to work out for you,' she said. 'It has a negativity bias.'
As a result, people will either immediately (26 %) or eventually (42%) end things with someone over an ick that turned them off, according to the Personality and Individual Differences study.
While many daters are quick to get rid of a potential suitor because of their quirks, study author Eliana Saunders said that people should take icks with a grain of salt and maybe think twice before completley writing off someone.
'While this feeling of disgust could be a valid marker of mate incompatibility, it could also be a symptom of high sensitivity to disgust, narcissism, other-oriented perfectionism, etc.'
'Before dumping a partner because their feet dangle when they sit in a chair, we should think critically about why we're feeling 'icked' out. Ask yourself: Is this something I truly can't deal with, or am I being overly critical? Is this 'ick' their fault, or is it mine?''