Deciding if and when to wear a mask depended on how safe or insecure a person felt in some contexts; but for some people, it might actually come down to their attractiveness, according to a recent study.
In a survey of 1,030 people, participants were asked to “self-rate their facial appearance” and how likely they are to wear masks these days.
“People with high self-perceived attractiveness were less willing to wear a mask” because they believed masks hid their attractiveness, according to the study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, published in January.
The study quotes one person as saying, “I can’t wait to stop wearing a mask… I can’t wait to show my whole face again in places.”
People who felt less attractive noted the opposite and were much more likely to still wear masks.
“I like to hide my face under the mask and I really dread the day when the mask mandates end,” said another person quoted in the newspaper.
Participants were also asked whether location impacted their willingness to mask up, and were given scenarios like walking their dog or going to a job interview.
Those who considered themselves truly attractive were much more likely to come out on top for a job interview than those who didn’t.
This difference is probably related to the concept of “nice privilege,“The notion that people considered attractive, according to society’s definition of beauty, will have better, and more, opportunities than people who are not considered attractive.
“These findings suggest that individuals are highly aware of the benefits of being physically attractive during the recruitment process, which drives them to improve their physical attractiveness,” the paper says.
Masking while walking the dog was significantly less important for both groups. However, people who found themselves more attractive were still more likely to leave their mask at home while walking their dog.
“Our findings suggest that mask-wearing may shift from a self-protection measure during the COVID-19 pandemic to a self-presentation tactic in the post-pandemic era,” the study authors wrote. .
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