Next time you're standing in the ice cream store licking or dipping into your favorite flavor, take a look around. Not only are you revealing aspects of your personality to others, but they are revealing parts of themselves to you as well.

All this is according to Edy's Grand Ice Cream which commissioned an ice cream flavor study to determine how ice cream preferences relate to personality. The study, conducted by Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, revealed that distinct aspects of personality correspond with ice cream flavors. They also compiled a compatibility chart to see if you and your favorite person match. Just for fun, choose your favorite flavor to see what it says about you and yours.

Banana. You are well adjusted, easy going, generous, honest and empathetic, and you are compatible with all flavors.

Butter Pecan. You tend towards perfectionism and are detail-oriented, conscientious, orderly, ethical, financially conservative, competitive and a take-charge type of personality who is compatible with another butter pecan or chocolate chip.

 Chocolate chip. You are generous, competitive, accomplished, charming in social situations, ambitious and competent, and you are compatible with butter pecan, strawberry or chocolate.

 Strawberry. You are shy but emotionally robust, detail oriented, opinionated, skeptical and tend to be self-critical. You are compatible with chocolate chip.

Vanilla. You are colorful and impulsive - a risk-taker who sets high standards and goals, who enjoys close family relationships and who is most likely to be compatible with someone whose favorite flavor is also vanilla.

Peggy Nolen is a Covington therapist specializing in recovery from traumatic experience, depression, anxiety and drug and alcohol problems. She can be reached at (770) 314-5924.