A new study suggests that men and women think differently when they see the enhanced or filtered photos of the opposite sex in dating sites. Men find women attractive but less trustworthy, while women find men to be both attractive and trustworthy.
It is a common practice of dating site users to enhance their photos before uploading them on dating sites. This is because most of them believe that putting their best "face" forward can help them score more dates. But which is really better? Filter or no filter? Researchers at the University of Connecticut have the answer based on their survey answered by 305 heterosexual participants from ages 17 to 35.
The researchers prepared four profile pictures of the same male and female. One photo was enhanced or beautified by changing the lighting, adding makeup and fixing the hair, while the other photo was unedited. The photos were shown to the participants, who were asked to rate the attractiveness and trustworthiness of the person. They were also asked if they would want to date that person.
The analysis showed that most men were attracted to the enhanced photo, yet find that person less trustworthy. Women, on the other hand, found the enhanced photo more attractive and trustworthy compared to the unedited photo.
"Trust is an important part of any relationship and it certainly plays an important role in the forging of new social bonds in the dating context. Yet, we found an interesting relationship between attractiveness and trust for males who were viewing female profile pictures. Specifically, men typically found the more beautified and therefore more attractive profile to also be less trustworthy," Rory McGloin, study author from the University of Connecticut, said in a press release. "This finding provides an empirical highlight to the concept of cat- fishing and the larger phenomena surrounding online dating, in which it is both normal and acceptable for individuals' to mislead or deceive their potential suitors."
But if you are one of those women fond of enhancing their photos, don't worry too much if men have lower trust in you. The study found that men are still more likely to date the female with the enhanced photo and take the risk even if they think that she might look less hot in-person.
The study was presented at the 65th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
