
A quarter of participants were prepared to believe blood groups might be linked to personality traits and affect temperament. Most of the participants were from the scientific transfusion community. Martin says, “Self-assessment questionnaires rely on the participants being honest otherwise it skews the results. The survey also included supplementary questions from other blood type theories such as those relating to teeth, hangovers and tattoos. The questions asked to what extent they thought they exhibited 30 specific personality traits including being optimistic, punctual, methodical, artistic, anxious, arrogant, funny, forgetful, creative, decisive, outgoing, centre of attention, confident, assertive, reliable and loyal. The survey was a self-assessment of the participants’ own personality. Numbers had been a limiting factor in previous studies.

We had over 1500 responses which was brilliant. “It was shared with anyone and everyone involved in transfusion,” says Martin. This second survey was completed by more than 1500 people. The personality traits relating to the theory have not changed but there have been improvements to technology that meant the reach of surveys could be expanded.Īmie Foster, former business support manager at NHSBT, helped Martin to develop an online survey which was sent out by email, via Facebook to transfusion committees. Since this initial survey he has kept looking for advances. Martin's goal was to get lots of people involved. Martin first started researching the link between blood groups and personality back in 2006, using a survey which was completed by 110 people from NHS Blood and Transplant in Newcastle. Research has been undertaken to test it with participants from countries across the world including the UK, but the results have been conflicting.

There is very little scientific evidence to support the theory. Detailed descriptions have been outlined in bestselling books in Japan.

The theory associates different personality traits and behaviours with each blood group.

“In this country a lot of people don’t know their blood type, whereas in Japan, many people live their lives based on it,” says Martin. Martin is a senior lecturer in biomedical sciences at the University of Sunderland and was previously head of the NHS Blood and Transplant Red Cell Immunohaematology Laboratory in Newcastle. Martin Maley has been interested in the link between blood type and personality for 15 years. School classes were grouped by blood type your CV must include your blood group and so must your dating app profile you can buy products designed for different blood types such as perfumes and bath salts films depict the characters’ personalities based on the blood type theory and video game characters have their ABO blood type listed in their performance statistics. Dating back to the 1930s, these widespread beliefs are embraced throughout Japanese culture and can influence anything from employment and how products are marketed to dating. It is widely believed that there is a link between human ABO blood types and personality traits. In Japan, it is common to be asked what your blood type is.
