Johannesburg - Every morning, South Africans reach for a cup of tea or coffee, but have you ever wondered why you favour one beverage in particular.
Your morning cuppa says a lot about who you are, according to a study conducted by international market research agency, OnePoll.
The researchers found significant personality differences among the 2 000 Americans they examined based on their morning beverage of choice.
The study revealed that contrary to popular belief, coffee drinkers were found to be more introverted and creative than tea drinkers, who describe themselves as extroverts that enjoy social interaction and crave adventure.
Seventy-five percent of coffee and tea drinkers have their first cuppa before 8am and it’s often on-the-go as they battle the traffic, school drop offs and the like.
The researchers said that when it comes to entertainment, tea fans enjoy watching Friends, The Big Bang Theory and The Walking Dead, while most coffee aficionados prefer Seinfeld, The Office and Grey’s Anatomy.
The tastes in music also vary as those who favour coffee listen to jazz, blues, punk and rock and tea lovers prefer a combination of classical, country, pop, hip hop and rap.
The researchers further asked why they preferred coffee or tea, with 41% of coffee drinkers saying they can’t start their day without coffee as they rely on a decent dose of caffeine to get them going first thing in the morning. 37% of tea drinkers chose tea for the exact opposite reason – stating too much caffeine as a turn-off.
Adele du Toit, spokesperson for the SA Rooibos Council (SARC) said several studies over the years have yielded similar results, so there must be some truth to it.
“Other studies concur that coffee drinkers tend to be ‘morning’ people compared to tea drinkers who describe themselves as night owls. Cleanliness and orderliness are a lot more important to tea drinkers than their coffee drinking peers, who often self-identify as ‘messy’,” Du Toit said.
“Sleep seems to elude coffee drinkers, with many describing themselves as light sleepers – either waking up at the slightest noise or blaming it on racing thoughts that keep them up at night, whereas most tea drinkers (57%) say they generally sleep well,” she said.
The OnePoll study refers to coffee drinkers as being addicted to caffeine, with another report citing almost half (49%) of coffee drinkers saying they’d rather give up their cellphone for a month than go without coffee. The same can’t be said for tea drinkers, as addiction isn’t a problem.
Ninety-six percent of coffee drinkers take their brew straight without any sweetener, milk or cream, yet tea drinkers are 35% more likely to add sugar to their tea.
“The switch from one beverage to another isn’t easy, but it’s important to weigh up the health benefits in the long run. Whichever one you choose, avoid adding too much sugar or sweeteners, which adds unhealthy calories,” Du Toit said.
The Star