Study subjects who expressed a preference for sweet over spicy tastes also tended to be more agreeable.

研究表明，愛吃甜食的人比愛吃辛辣食物的人更討人喜歡。

Parents are often fretting over what all that candy will do to their children. 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.

父母總是擔心糖果等甜食對孩子不好，事實上，甜食可能會使孩子變得更“甜”。一本名為《個性與社會心理》的雜志認為，喜歡吃甜食的人更友善。

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?

我們常常用表示味道的詞來形容人的性格與行為，比如，我們會說某人很苦悶，也會用尖酸、潑辣等詞來描述別人。那么，食物的味道真的可以反應出我們是什么樣的人嗎？

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.

科學家在研究后發現，愛吃甜食的人似乎更加慷慨大度，真誠友善。研究者讓學生們回答一系列與性格相關的問題，比如，是否為人心腸軟？喜不喜歡挖苦別人？然后，研究者又讓學生們根據自己的喜好將各種食物排序，從蛋糕、冰淇淋到小紅莓、泡菜和辣椒醬。得出的結果是，愛吃甜食的孩子都把自己當成是“小甜甜”。

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.

這種說法可能有點道理。愛吃糖果的孩子比愛吃咸餅干的孩子更愿意在學校里當志愿者或參加其它活動。如果你不想孩子成為善良慷慨的人，你就盡管拿走那盤曲奇餅干吧。