It’s a sudden repulsion that comes out of the blue.
You can be dating someone for weeks and then – without warning – something they do puts you off.
It can be as benign as the way they tie their shoelaces, or if they send two texts in a row in quick succession.
This phenomenon, called ‘getting the ick’, refers to a sudden, visceral feeling of disgust towards someone you’re romantically interested in.
Now, scientists have revealed that experiencing the ‘ick’ could mean you have certain personality traits.
They discovered people who hold others to high standards, who are more prone to disgust or who score higher in narcissism are more likely to experience the phenomenon.
To start their study, the team conducted an analysis of the first 100 TikTok videos with the hashtag #theick.
This revealed ick ‘triggers’ such as wearing awkward clothing, saying annoying phrases or being socially embarrassing.
The phenomenon has been spoken about widely on social media, with users detailing what gives them the ick
From this, they then recruited 125 single adults – a mix of men and women aged between 24 and 72.
Participants were asked to rate the likelihood of experiencing the ick in response to these specific triggers, as well as to complete personality assessments and answer questions about their dating history.
Analysis revealed that 64 per cent – nearly two-thirds – of people had experienced the ick at some point.
Women were significantly more likely than men to know the term and to have felt it themselves.
For a quarter of people, the ick was enough for them to stop dating a partner immediately.
Meanwhile 42 per cent said it was significant enough for them to end the relationship later on.
While most people shared their feelings with friends or family, only a minority told the person who had caused the ick about it.
Eliana Saunders, a graduate student at Azusa Pacific University, carried out the study.
For this girl, a guy declaring ‘we won’ when talking about his football team is enough to give her the ick
‘I thought it was surprising that about a quarter of participants reported ending a relationship immediately upon experiencing the ick,’ she told the website PsyPost.
‘As the ick increases in popularity, I’m curious if this number will rise or fall.’
Analysis showed that women were more likely to be turned off by annoying speech or misogynistic behaviour.
However, men were more likely to get the ick from vanity or ‘overly trendy’ behaviour.
The team found that narcissism was linked to the likelihood of experiencing the ick.
Those who scored higher in grandiose narcissism – characterised by an exaggerated sense of self-importance and a constant need for admiration – were more likely to react negatively to a perceived ick.
People who imposed high standards on others were also more likely to report being put off by a wide range of behaviours.
‘I think one of the most important lessons a reader can take from our findings is that it’s important to take each ‘ick’ with a grain of salt,’ Ms Saunders said.
‘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 or other-oriented perfectionism.
‘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?’
Writing in the journal Personality and Individual Differences the team added: ‘Findings suggest that while the ick may help people identify potential mate incompatibilities, it may also lead to overly rigid rejection standards.’
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