How do we choose the people we meet and maybe marry? At least by choosing people of our ‘class’ in terms of beauty
How do we choose the people we meet and have relationships with and maybe one day marry? To a large extent, choosing people from our “class”, at least in terms of beauty, finds a new opinion that confirms “like for like…”.
Researchers report that both men and women are fairly accurate in their assessment of their own physical attractiveness and tend to choose mates with similar views of their own beauty.
For example, those who consider themselves attractive tend to date women who are similar in appearance, the researchers report in the journal. Personality and Individual Differences.
These results come from more than two dozen studies since 1972 involving nearly 1,300 heterosexual couples.
SIn the research, couples were asked to rate how attractive their appearance was. Later, their photos were given to strangers, who in turn rated the appearance of the first one. As the results show, people’s opinions about their appearance (how attractive they are) is largely proportional to the way a stranger views them.
Lead researcher Gregory Webster, a professor of psychology at the University of Florida, said the key elements that people find attractive across cultures and time are fairly consistent.
The review also allowed the researchers to track how these self-evaluations change over time in long-term relationships. Some studies have focused on young couples just starting out, while others have focused on long-term married couples. Researchers found that among people who had been together longer, they rated men’s attractiveness more accurately. According to the researchers, this may be due to youthful overconfidence, which diminishes over time and allows men to develop a more reasonable self-image.
“Men can be more realistic,” Webster said. “Usually no one gets more attractive as time goes by.”