It’s a common belief that people tend to overestimate their own attractiveness. We’ve all heard the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” – implying that our own perceptions of attractiveness are biased and subjective. But is this really true? Do people generally think they are more physically attractive than an objective assessment would suggest? In this article, we’ll explore some of the research around this topic and try to determine whether people have an inflated sense of their own beauty.
Studies on Self-Perceived Attractiveness
There have been a number of studies conducted over the years investigating how people rate their own physical attractiveness compared to more objective assessments. Here is a summary of some of the key findings:
Overestimation in University Students
A 1986 study published in the Journal of Personality looked at how university students rated their own attractiveness compared to ratings by others. 132 students were asked to rate their own attractiveness on a scale from 1 to 7. They were also rated separately on the same scale by a panel of judges.
The results found that the students rated themselves significantly higher than the panel rated them. On average, male students rated themselves 0.87 points higher while female students rated themselves 0.96 points higher.
This suggests that the students had an inflated perception of their own attractiveness compared to more objective ratings.
Gender Differences
A 2008 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology looked for gender differences in overestimation of attractiveness amongst 266 high school students.
The students were asked to rate their own attractiveness and were also photographed and rated by 6 judges.
The results found that both male and female students overestimated their attractiveness compared to judges’ ratings, but that males overestimated significantly more than females. Males rated themselves 0.57 points higher while females were just 0.37 points higher on average.
This implies that males may have a greater tendency to inflate perceptions of their own attractiveness compared to females.
Culture and Age Factors
A 2010 cross-cultural study published in Personality and Individual Differences looked at ratings of self-perceived attractiveness amongst 361 British and Hong Kong Chinese university students.
The students rated themselves on attractiveness and also had their photos rated by separate panels of British and Chinese judges.
The results found that both British and Chinese students overestimated their attractiveness compared to judges ratings. However, the Chinese students overestimated more, rating themselves 0.61 points higher compared to 0.34 points higher for British students.
This suggests cultural factors may influence the degree of overestimation of attractiveness. There may be greater modesty around self-promotion of attractiveness in British culture compared to Chinese culture.
The study also found that self-overestimation declined with age – older students tended to rate themselves more accurately compared to external judges.
Table Summary of Study Results
| Study | Group | Self Rating Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 Journal of Personality | Male University Students | +0.87 |
| 1986 Journal of Personality | Female University Students | +0.96 |
| 2008 Scandinavian Journal of Psychology | Male High School Students | +0.57 |
| 2008 Scandinavian Journal of Psychology | Female High School Students | +0.37 |
| 2010 Personality and Individual Differences | British University Students | +0.34 |
| 2010 Personality and Individual Differences | Chinese University Students | +0.61 |
This table summarizes the key findings from these studies, showing how different groups overestimated their own attractiveness by 0.34 to 0.96 points on a rating scale compared to more objective assessments.
Factors Contributing to Self-Inflated Perceptions of Beauty
So what leads people to overestimate their own attractiveness? Here are some potential factors:
Flawed Self-Observation
People simply may not be skilled at objectively evaluating their own appearance. Our own observations can be skewed by bias and unfamiliarity with our objective features. We tend to recognize attractive features more readily than flaws.
Warped Social Comparisons
We often judge our attractiveness based on how we compare to people we interact with regularly. But this can give a warped perspective if our social circles represent a biased sample. For example, only spending time with people of similar attractiveness.
Ego Protection
Overestimating our own attractiveness may be a form of ego protection. Rating ourselves as highly attractive buffers self-esteem against negative feedback about appearance from others.
Above Average Effect
People tend to rate themselves as “above average” on many positive traits. Rating ourselves as more attractive than we are feeds into this common cognitive distortion that most people are prone to.
Desirable Trait Bias
Physical attractiveness is a highly desirable trait in society. This can lead people to inflate self-ratings of attractiveness to align more closely with social ideals of beauty.
False Consensus Effect
We often overestimate how similar other people’s beliefs are to our own. People may incorrectly assume others view them as similarly attractive as they view themselves.
Self-Serving Bias
Exaggerating personal attractiveness can represent a self-serving bias. People distort facts in a way that promotes positivity about themselves.
Impacts of Overestimating Attractiveness
What are some of the potential impacts – both positive and negative – of people overestimating their own physical attractiveness?
Greater Self-Confidence
Having an inflated sense of one’s own beauty can lead to higher self-confidence in social, romantic and professional spheres. Even if misguided, self-perceived attractiveness boosts self-esteem.
Disappointment in Feedback
People who overestimate their looks may struggle when reality does not match their inflated self-perceptions. This can lead to disappointment when external feedback does not align with high self-ratings.
Interpersonal Issues
Mismatched perceptions around physical attractiveness can strain personal relationships. Partners may grow frustrated when someone’s view of their own beauty seems exaggerated.
Unrealistic Expectations
Overestimating attractiveness can fuel unrealistic expectations around dating partners, career opportunities, social status and other areas impacted by perceived beauty. Expectations get easily miscalibrated.
Riskier Behaviors
Feeling highly attractive can lead people to engage in riskier sexual, social or professional behaviors than their actual level of attractiveness can sustain. Overconfidence breeds poor decisions.
Appearance Fixation
People convinced of their own supreme beauty may become overly fixated on appearance. Energy pours into validation-seeking and resentment grows when reality fails to match self-perceptions.
Conclusion
The research suggests that many people do tend to overestimate their level of physical attractiveness compared to more objective assessments. Males, younger people and some cultures seem particularly prone to inflate their self-ratings of beauty. This distorted self-perception can stem from biological and psychological biases that allow people to maintain inflated self-esteem. But overestimating one’s own attractiveness also comes with downsides like unrealistic expectations, interpersonal conflicts and appearance fixation. While beauty remains in the eye of the beholder, our eyes may be fooling us more than we realize.