A recent behavioral study conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut shows that adding hot photos on dating sites do not make users more attractive to the opposite sex.
While studying humans’ behavior on the Internet in general and on dating sites in particular a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut has made important discoveries.
According to the recent data they have gathered, much to our dismay, Photoshop-enhanced photos do not make users more attractive to the opposite sex.
The study was carried out with the help of 305 participants with the age between 17 and 36 years old. Each and every other participant had to view four different profiles on various dating sites for several minutes.
At the end of the attributed time interval, participants were asked to rate the four profiles in terms of attractiveness, trust and similarity.
The majority of the contributors have appreciated the profiles that looked natural, without enhanced profile pics or amplified information.
When asked to describe the profiles containing retouched pics, respondents have rated them as unreliable.
Further investigation into the matter has revealed that men have the tendency not to trust women who add hot photos and, consequently they avoid asking them out for a date.
Nevertheless, guys are willing to take a chance, even though they know women will not be as beautiful in person as they appear to be on the Internet profile.
Participants belonging to the feminine gender, on the other hand, have been positively impressed by males’ enhanced dating profiles.
They gave higher grades to these profiles because they automatically inferred, as they skimmed through the photos, that those men are generally preoccupied with their image.
The recent findings come to contradict many of the past beliefs that humanity has held valid so far.
Until recently, it was believed that males are more inclined to judge “a book by its covers”, consequently, to start relationships only with those women who look appealing.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut claim things have changes; women appear to be the ones, who choose their partners based on their looks.
Scientists have further added that attractiveness was the only aspect influencing women to pursue dates on the studied profiles.
The study was meant to provide people with additional information related to the cat-fishing phenomenon and to help prevent similar activities.
The research and its results will be presented during this year’s International Communication Association conference.
Image Source: Dirty and thirty
