A recent study found that both men and women were adept at accurately assessing their own physical attractiveness. Additionally, the study revealed that couples tended to be equally attractive, indicating that people often pair up with those who are similar in terms of looks. This analysis involved nearly 1,300 heterosexual couples across 27 different studies, and was led by Gregory Webster, Ph.D., the R. DaThomas Endowed Professor of Psychology at the University of Florida, Thomas Webster, along with his colleagues from Yale University and the State University of New York at Fredonia, recently shared their research in the academic journal Personality and Individual Differences on May 25th.
The study found that not only were individuals fairly accurate in assessing their own attractiveness, but couples also tended to have similar perceptions of their own physical appeal. For instance, men who ranked themselves as attractive were more likely to be involved with women who had similar self-assessments.
The data for the study was collected from surveys that asked participants in relationships to rate their own physical attractiveness.The participants’ pictures were then evaluated by strangers who gave unbiased assessments of their attractiveness.
Webster’s team conducted a new analysis of a significant meta-analysis from 1988, which compiled information from 27 different studies examining the correlation between attractiveness and couples. Over the past 34 years, new techniques for analyzing data from couples have been developed, offering an opportunity to reevaluate the previous study in a new context.
“There is a vast body of research on meta-analysis and another extensive body of research on analyzing data for couples. However, these two areas have not been combined until now,” Webster explained.
The original data dates back to 1972, but according to Webster, its relevance still holds true in 2024. He mentioned that certain aspects of attraction may have changed with the advent of online dating, where initial impressions are based solely on pictures. However, Webster also pointed out that the basic principles of what humans find attractive remain consistent across different cultures and time periods. The meta-analysis conducted by Webster’s team examined changes in self-ratings over relationships of varying durations, including studies on young dating couples and others focused on different demographics.
In a study of long-term couples, researchers found that men were better at accurately assessing their own attractiveness as their relationships progressed. It seems that as men grew older, their confidence decreased and they began to see themselves more realistically. Lead researcher Webster noted, “Men may be becoming more aware of their own realistic attractiveness, as no one is usually getting more attractive over time.”
