Some men can get by on a wink and a smile ââ¬â but those with less chiselled features make up for it with misguided optimism about their own appearance, a study claims.
Despite being at a disadvantage in the looks department, some men are able to snare a partner far more attractive than them through relentless persistence and overblown belief in their own sex appeal.
Now scientists believe this could be down to an evolutionary trait which tricks men into overestimating the value of their looks to prevent them from missing a mating opportunity.
This overconfidence causes them to try their luck with a greater number of women because they are less likely to see them as unattainable.
The study, published in the Psychological Science journal, could help explain the mystery of why so many men think women are interested in them when in fact they are not, researchers said.
Making moves on a greater number of women, some of whom are better-looking than them, raises the men's risk of an embarrassing knock-back but also reduces the chance of missing out on a potential partner.
Only the most attractive men are not inclined to have an inflated view of their desirability ââ¬â most likely because they are so good looking they do not need to, according to an experiment by US-based Williams College psychologists.
Dr Carin Perilloux, who led the study, said: There are two ways you can make an error as a man.
Either you think, 'Oh, wow, that woman's really interested in me' and it turns out she's not. There's some cost to that, such as embarrassment or a blow to your reputation.
The other error: she's interested, and he totally misses out. He misses out on a mating opportunity. That's a huge cost in terms of reproductive success.
Full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-ugly-men-makes-up-for-unappealing-looks.html
Question: What are your thoughts on this study?
Despite being at a disadvantage in the looks department, some men are able to snare a partner far more attractive than them through relentless persistence and overblown belief in their own sex appeal.
Now scientists believe this could be down to an evolutionary trait which tricks men into overestimating the value of their looks to prevent them from missing a mating opportunity.
This overconfidence causes them to try their luck with a greater number of women because they are less likely to see them as unattainable.
The study, published in the Psychological Science journal, could help explain the mystery of why so many men think women are interested in them when in fact they are not, researchers said.
Making moves on a greater number of women, some of whom are better-looking than them, raises the men's risk of an embarrassing knock-back but also reduces the chance of missing out on a potential partner.
Only the most attractive men are not inclined to have an inflated view of their desirability ââ¬â most likely because they are so good looking they do not need to, according to an experiment by US-based Williams College psychologists.
Dr Carin Perilloux, who led the study, said: There are two ways you can make an error as a man.
Either you think, 'Oh, wow, that woman's really interested in me' and it turns out she's not. There's some cost to that, such as embarrassment or a blow to your reputation.
The other error: she's interested, and he totally misses out. He misses out on a mating opportunity. That's a huge cost in terms of reproductive success.
Full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-ugly-men-makes-up-for-unappealing-looks.html
Question: What are your thoughts on this study?
