Do Eyeglasses Actually Make Men Look Smarter And More Attractive To Women?

By Ange Fonce

About a month ago I was out with some male friends and I was asked this curious question...

"Do eyeglasses make men look smarter and more attractive to women?"

Well we shared a debate about this question... and the natural assumption we all agreed on is that for both men and women who wear glasses can make you appear more "intelligent."

Yet this widely held assumption started me thinking and asking questions... because really wearing Eyeglasses is more about Eyesight then it is about "intelligence."

YES... the "general assumption" is that Eyeglasses do make you appear more "intelligent."

Yet... why does this assumption exist as there are other factors beyond "intelligence."

For example...

Sexiness

Trustworthiness

Success

Attractiveness

I think we can agree that the "conventional assumption" is that glasses do make people look "smarter."

So... is there any kind of Science to back up this widely held "assumption?"

With this question in mind I decided to do some digging... ie... research to either "confirm" this assumption or not?

I actually come across a lot of articles that say that they do... yet the issue with many of those articles is that the research that they cite is over seventy years old... and this research had more to with marketing then actual Science.

So I did some more digging around to find out if there is any more recent research that was not based in marketing and more to do with REAL Science.

I found that in the Swiss Journal of Psychology, a scientist named Helmut Leder actually put out a study in 2011 entitled...

The Glasses Stereotype Revisited... Effects of Glasses on Perception... Recognition and Impressions on Faces.

He looked at three types of people...

Those who did not wear glasses

Those who wore rimless glasses

Those who wore full rimmed glasses

He then tried to "determine" how these men were "perceived"... the "distinctiveness" on their faces... the "eye contact" made... "attention" to the eyes actually given... "success" perception... "intelligence" perception... "likability" and "trustworthiness."

So... What Did He Find Out?

No surprise... without glasses people were perceived as being more "attractive" and also considered to be more "likable."

People with "full framed glasses" were considered more "distinctive"... and had more people "focus" on their "eyes" and were given more "eye contact" and general attention to the eyes. 

These men were also perceived as being more "intelligent" and more "successful." 

Yet...these men were not as "likable"... not considered "trustworthy" and not considered as "attractive."

The "rimless glasses group" did not have the "distinctiveness" and the "eye contact" results that the "full rimmed glasses" had.

Their "attractiveness" and "likability" results were more "positive" then the "full rimmed glasses" group... the "success" and "intelligent" factors for this group was also up compared to the "no glasses" group.



Eyeglasses Chart

So, what does this data tell you?

Now... I found flaws with this research.

First... it was conducted on a small group of women... only 20 female students... to me that is a very small sample group set within a narrow age band... so is this "truly representative" of the population at large?

Second... there are missing "variables" such as "reactive lenses" to light... as many modern Eyeglasses can double up as Sunglasses... which was not included in this study. 

Third... there is also the matter of Sunglasses... a man can look one way in Eyeglasses and yet look very different in Sunglasses.

Forth... there is no data in the study as to the actual shape or design of the Eyeglasses, i.e... round, half lenses, full lenses, etc. 

Now... can I make any conclusion to the question I was asked...



"Do eyeglasses make men look smarter and more attractive?"

At this moment in time... the simple answer is NO.

The Science is very limited and I am going to conduct more in depth research as the question is fascinating as I wear Eyeglasses myself... and I will keep your informed as to my findings.

There is also the added question about Women... the same question can be applied to them too.



"Do eyeglasses make women look smarter and more attractive?" 

So... what are your "thoughts" on how "eye glasses" affect perceived "likability... intelligence... trustworthyness" and "attractiveness" in men and women?

Drop me a line... I would really like to "know your opinion" and to "hear" what you have to say?

As always... leave a man or woman all the "better" for "knowing" you.

Thank you and may you enjoy a Prosperous and Dynamic day!

Yours Sincerely



Ange is an  Author... Speaker... Humanistic Counselling Psychologist and Dynamic Peak Performance Personal Development Consultant and Sexologist... who works with men and women on line and real world who desire to "personally develop" themselves and their "relationships" to become Dynamic Lifers... "creators" of their own life and wealth!



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