Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) conducted a small experiment using 102 students as samples. In it, the experts found out that the photos people choose as social media profiles do not put them under the best light.
The study, which was first published on Thursday in the journal "Cognitive Research Principles and Implications", claims that the best judge for one's level of attractiveness is a stranger. If somebody hopes to know his or her best traits, may it be personal or physical, he or she might want to ask the advice of friends, classmates, or even random people.
According to Mashable, the UNSW experts asked the respondents to pick two out of 12 photos that they were most or least likely use as profile pictures for sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. The same process was done to strangers' pictures who had earlier participated in the study. Surprisingly, when the researchers showed the pictures that the students chose to random internet strangers, the strangers thought that the images were not showing the person's best angles.
Now, when the photos chosen by the second group -the strangers - were handed to the "online judges", the latter found that they are more attractive. No to only that, these photos were also more trustworthy, dominant, confident, and competent. Lead author Dr. David White told in a press release that their findings suggest that "people make poor choices when selecting flattering images of themselves."
Moreover, per Eureka Alert, Dr. White discovered that the study showed that other people make judgments about someone's character and personality in a split second after seeing a photograph. Thus, if a person wants to put his or her best face online, asking someone else to do it would now makes sense. Nevertheless, the research needs further improvements to understand why this particular phenomenon happens.
