An experimental study on the role of sociosexuality in judgements of perceived trustworthiness in a mobile dating-like interface

Abstract

Photo filters have become a pervasive strategy to obtain social approval in social media. Postulating that sociosexuality is a major predictor of use of picture-based mobile dating apps, we assessed whether individual differences in sociosexuality shape social perception of photo filters. We conducted an online study (N = 218) to assess whether “unnatural” (exaggerated) and “natural” (subtle) photo filters applied to faces (varying in attractiveness) influences trustworthiness judgments and liking behavior in a picture-based mobile dating-like interface. Our results showed that unrestricted sociosexuality (a) predicted higher judgments of trustworthiness based on the face; (b) decreased liking for non-attractive faces; and (c) increased liking for faces with a natural (subtle) photo filter and with no filter, but decreased liking for faces that applied an “unnatural” (exaggerated) photo filter. Further, we found that (d) relative to faces with no filter, natural (subtle) photo filters increased “liking” responses; and that (e) unattractive faces were rated as less trustworthy and less “liked” than neutral and attractive faces. These findings suggest that sociosexuality shapes the social perception of faces in online contexts.