The Ice Cream Window Into Your Soul

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The Ice Cream Window Into Your Soul


Are you irritable, pessimistic and suffering from low self-esteem? 
Chances are, you might like strawberry ice cream.

But if you are among the folks who lap up butter pecan, you're 
sexually reserved, not to mention a little tight with a buck.

Maybe you can't judge a book by its cover, but the ice cream on your 
dish speaks volumes - at least if you believe a study by Chicago's 
Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation.

"It was amazing to discover how distinct personalities corresponded 
with ice cream flavors,"; said Dr. Alan Hirsch, the neurologist 
who conducted the study. "If your spouse suddenly switches flavors, 
I'd  watch out."


A Little Too Accurate for Dessert


But Hirsch's results might have been a bit too detailed for Dreyer's 
and Edy's Grand Ice Cream Inc., which sponsored the study as part of 
its current advertising push. Company literature leaves out the 
report's most startling results, such as the findings that double 
chocolate-chunk eaters tend to be "followers rather than leaders" 
and "flirtatious."

Instead, the company's "flavorology" report describes chocoholics as
"lively, creative, dramatic, charming, enthusiastic, and the life of 
the party."

The company flat-out admits to coddling its audience. "We put a spin 
on it. We are in the ice cream business to make people happy," 
said Dreyer's spokeswoman Jill Kasser. "This is supposed to be fun, 
not upsetting. We never tried to deceive anyone."

"Of course we didn't include all the information," she said. "You are 
not supposed to look at our flavorology and say, 'My favorite flavor 
is strawberries and cream. I must be a loser.'"

The ice cream maker argues that its "flavorology" campaign is meant 
as nothing more than a fun way to get the inside scoop on friends 
and family and not supposed to be taken too seriously. However, Dr. 
Hirsch confirms that Dreyer's commissioned a serious report and that 
his results have scientific validity. He declined to criticize how 
the frozen dairy conglomerate used the information, saying only that 
his full report is "more complete." 

The Banana Cream Pie Factor

Hirsch was asked to investigate whether people can be characterized 
according to six of Dreyer's most popular flavors. "We collected a 
representative sample of 60 subjects, gave them a series of 
psychological tests, and used accepted research methods," he said. 
"I stand behind the accuracy and reliability."

Even in its sanitized version, the ice cream study argues against 
stereotyping vanilla lovers as suffering from blandness. And the 
butter pecan contingent is proven to be logical and ethical rather 
than nutty.

But curiously, the most flattering personality profile belongs to 
lovers of banana cream pie flavored ice cream. These folks are said 
to make "the perfect husband, wife, parent or child."  Banana cream pie
also happens to be Hirsch's favorite flavor. "It's a coincidence" he 
said. "But it's true!"

Even though personality types might gravitate to a particular flavor, 
Hirsch can't explain why. "Very simply, you can't make yourself a 
better or worse person by switching your favorite flavor ice cream," 
he said. "But wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy."

Flavorology: How an Ice Cream Maker Sugar-coated a Scientific Study

Flavor			Strawberries and Cream

The Strawberries and    Introvert, feels inadequate or overwhelmed with
Cream Personality       life's stresses, easily made to feel guilty, 
Profile                 frequently irritable and cranky, pessimistic, 
                        low self esteem, views the glass "as half empty." 
                        (Prototype: Andy Rooney, the curmudgeon, 
                        bureaucrats, journalists, column writers, 
                        receptionist at the complaints and return 
                        department of retail stores.

Dreyer's Version        Shy yet emotionally robust, skeptical, 
                        detail-oriented, opinionated, introverted 
                        and self-critical.

Love                    If you eat strawberry ice cream, your perfect 
Connection              match eats chocolate chip.


Flavor                  Vanilla

The Vanilla             Colorful, at times impulsive, likes to take 
Personality Profile     risks, gregarious, tends to live a hectic 
                        life with an overly filled schedule. Easily 
                        suggestible, expressive, enjoys close 
                        relationship with others, idealistic, sets 
                        high goals, a private person, sets high
                        expectations for oneself, most comfortable in 
                        a close secure relationship. (Prototype: 
                        Lovelorn housewife, enjoys soap operas, 
                        romantic novels)

Dreyer's Version        Colorful, impulsive, risk takers who set high 
                        goals and have high expectations of themselves, 
                        enjoy close family relationships.

Love Connection         Vanilla eaters should date each other.



Flavor			Double Chocolate Chunk

The Double Chocolate	Likes to be the center of attention, lively, 
Chunk Personality       dramatic, charming, enthusiastic, outgoing, 
Profile                 flirtatious, "the life of the party," creative, 
                        seductive, well dressed, theatrical, extrovert, 
                        sensitive, easily suggestible, easily influenced 
                        by others, overly trusting, a follower rather 
                        than a leader, intuitive and tends to
			play hunches rather than rely on logic, enjoys
			intimate relationships, easily absorbed into 
                        romantic fantasy, thirves in close relationships,
                        craves novelty and becomes bored easily with 
                        usual routine. (Prototype: Actress, very 
                        feminine woman, macho man)

Dreyer's Version	Lively, creative, dramatic, charming, 
                        enthusiastic, and the life of the party. 
                        Chocolate fans enjoy being at the center of 
                        attention and can become bored with the usual 
                        routine.

Love Connection		Chocoholics are a perfect match for butter 
                        pecan or chocolate chip lovers.


Flavor			Banana Cream Pie

The Banana Cream        Well adjusted, easy going, empathic. (Prototype: 
Pie Personality         The perfect husband, wife, parent or child)
Profile

Dreyer's Version        Very easy going, well adjusted, generous, 
                        honest and empathic.

Love Connection         Banana cream pie eaters are a good match with 
                        all other flavors.



Flavor                  Chocolate Chip

The Chocolate Chip      Generous, a visionary, competitive, a conqueror,
Personality Profile	accomplished, someone who is on the top, 
                        charming in a social situations, enjoys being 
                        catered to, a go getter, ambitious, competent, 
                        intolerant of defeat, always a winner. 
                        (Prototype: Leaders of industry, Donald Trump, 
                        those voted most likely to succeed in school)

Dreyer's Version        Generous, competitive and accomplished; charming 
                        in social situations, ambitious and competent.

Love Connection         Chocolate chips date those who fill their 
                        cones with butter pecan or double chocolate 
                        chunk.


Flavor                  Butter Pecan

The Butter Pecan        Orderly, perfectionist, never violates rules, 
Personality Profile     when doing a task pays attention to the most 
                        trivial details, careful, has high standards 
                        of their own performance, a perfect worker, 
                        devoted to work, does not procrastinate or 
                        waste time, conscientious, moral, ethical, not 
                        wasteful, fiscally conservative, a planner, 
                        believes in "the principle of the 
                        thing," respectful, sexually reserved, serious, 
                        logical, intelligent, at times has difficulty 
                        expressing true feelings to others for fear of 
                        hurting their feelings,	aggressively engages in 
                        sports, competitive, self-critical, with 
                        scruples, a take-charge person.	(Prototype: 
                        executive secretary, accountant.)

Dreyer's Version        Orderly, perfectionist, careful, detail-
                        oriented, conscientious, ethical, and fiscally 
                        conservative; also, competitive, aggressive in 
                        sports, and the "take-charge" type of 
                        personality.

Love Connection         Butter pecan eaters should stick to their own 
                        kind.


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