Coffee tells a story about you; one that you might not realize. Psychologists are always curiously driven to understand the underlying personality aspects behind what appears ordinary. 

Coffee research is no different. 

You might be surprised to learn something new about yourself after discovering what researchers have concluded. And the next time you order ‘the usual’, it may be a little more interesting as to why. 

Clinical Research on Coffee and Personality

Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Ramani Durvasula, author of the book: You Are WHY You Eat: Change Your Food Attitude, Change Your Life, details her findings from conducting coffee research on over a thousand participants. 

The personality traits represented characteristics of:

• Introversion
• Extroversion
• Perfectionism
• Boldness
• Sensitivity
• Patience
• Leadership

Research participants responded to common scenarios we find ourselves in everyday life. Each individual was asked to express how they would respond when having to wait in long lines, planning dinner parties, typical weekend activities, and other ordinary situations. The research study requested information on their coffee habits, most importantly — their favorite go-to coffee. Afterward, Dr. Durvasula gathered results showing the majority of correlations for each coffee type and associated personality traits.

Here’s what was revealed . . .

Coffee Types and Personality

Black Coffee — Individuals opting for black coffee tended to have straight-forward personalities, bold, and no-nonsense behavioral attitudes. In this case, coffee serves as a means to an end. For these types of people, the caffeine coffee provides is a tool to wake up and get on with the day without fussing over any details like adding cream or sugar.  

Fans of the foam —Participants listing their favorite coffee as one with loads of foam were found to have more controlling personalities. Along with this, the results showed tendencies towards obsessive and detail-oriented behavior. 

Lattes — Those favoring the silky foam and unique taste of a latte tended towards anxiety and high levels of people-pleasing tendencies.

Instant coffee — Instant coffee lovers showed a greater likelihood of procrastination.

Frappuccinos and other sugary coffee drinks — The personality traits associated with these types of coffee drinks tended to be more carefree, laid back, and easy-going. They’re the type of people you’d consider ‘young-at-heart’ despite their age.

It’s important to note that with every personality test, there are gray areas where not every result fits a person exactly or sometimes at all. 

However, psychologists are always intrigued when finding trends that point toward a majority in each category. Regardless of these findings, we know that coffee has been proven to boost overall feelings of happiness and relational connections. 

This alone is reason enough to enjoy your coffee any time of the year, caffeinated or decaf, hot or iced. 

Coffee Made Your Way at Mokas Cafe 

How would you like your coffee? Perhaps you’d like to explore other coffee options to get a (literal) taste of what others are choosing when it’s time to order. Perhaps you’re perfectly happy keeping your go-to coffee drink and that’s quite ok. 

Either way, Mokas Cafe is proud to serve you, whatever your personality. We are in the business of making people happy and coffee has a profound way of doing that no matter what the order. 

Mokas Cafe was founded in Salina, Kansas over 15 years ago. Since our opening, we strive to create a worthwhile experience for everyone who walks through our doors with friendly customer service and delicious food and brews. We live to serve our community by providing consistent service and it’s why our loyal customers continue to rely on us for quality food and drinks.

Visit our locations page to find the nearest location to you!