Are you a regular selfie taker? Your pics aren’t nearly aren't as attractive as you perceive.
By: John Hollywood
Do you take a large number of selfies? If so, there’s a good chance that you are over estimating how attractive you are.
What’s more, you may be assuming you are a lot more likeable than you think.
So says a study.
In Social, Psychological and Personality Science, researchers from the University of Toronto presented their findings in a report entitled: Selfie Indulgence: Self Favoring Bias in Perceptions of Selfies.
Selfie Taker Research
The research team used 198 college students for their study. 100 of these participants identified themselves as “regular” selfie takers. The remaining 98 hardly ever took selfies.
As part of the study, all participants were asked to take pictures of themselves (a selfie) and at least one other person.
The research team then asked everyone to rate each selfie for attractiveness and likeability based on how they thought friends might perceive the photographs on social media.
Using outsiders as independent raters that had no relationship with anyone in the study, the photographs were then rated by 198 random members of the public.
These outsiders rated the pictures for:
- Attractiveness
- Likeability and;
- Narcissism
Selfie Taker Findings
The results of the research were interesting and revealing. Both the non-selfie takers and regular selfie takers believed they would be viewed as more attractive and likeable in their pics than they were actually rated by the independent raters.
Related: Are you a narcissistic gay man?
However, the regular selfie takers significantly over estimated themselves. Moreover, they tended to think they looked way better in their snapshots than the photos taken by other people.
Here is what the research team said:
“Selfie-takers generally over perceived the positive attributes purveyed by their selfies.”
More commentary from the researchers:
“Here, we found that selfie-takers believed their selfies to look more attractive and likable than photos of them taken by other people.
In reality, though, external raters actually perceived the targets' selfies to look less attractive and less likable than the photos taken by others (as well as more narcissistic).
This self-favoring bias did not extend to non-selfie-takers.”
The team of researchers conclude that regular selfie taking may paradoxically increase a person's susceptibility to viewing themselves more favorably.
In turn, this causes the person to overestimate their level of attractiveness. In short, the more they take pictures of themselves, the more susceptible they become to distortions of reality.
Related: Muscle Selfies: How to take one!
The report suggests that selfie takers develop different approaches for taking pictures of themselves in a way that is designed to gain attention (i.e. Likes on Facebook).
The end result is an inflated self-image.
Researchers continue to explore the role of selfies and self-image.
One can’t help but wonder what the implications of this study and others like it will be for gay men; a group that we know dominates social media with selfies.
Question: Do you think selfie takers tend to overestimate their appearance? Vote in poll below.
