Study: Photo Filters Have a Big Impact on Dating Site User Behaviour

A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science explores how photo filters influence perceptions on dating apps – and inadvertently tries to pinpoint the range in which photos become most attractive before the filter becomes too exaggerated to be appealing. This test was done through a dating app-style swiping system that forced the participants to make snap judgments about the different faces, along with a questionnaire to judge their willingness for casual sexual connections.

The research found that subtle photo filters, which make small changes to appearance such as smoothing skin or making cheekbones slightly more defined, increased the likability of profiles quite significantly. In contrast, exaggerated filters, which create more artificial-looking images by enlarging the eyes or notably adjusting the symmetry of the face in the image, had no significant impact on likability.

Trustworthiness was a big focus of the study, and one related discovery was that filters did not actually reduce the trustworthiness that participants felt towards each profile – there was always a “sweet spot” where the filters were most effective, but never a dip from the baseline. As a side note, the study also found that male faces were judged more harshly than female faces (leading to fewer dating prospects overall), especially when both were conventionally unattractive.

Overall, the research sheds light on how filters shape user interactions on dating apps. Given that filters have become more and more common (as well as AI photo manipulation), understanding their influence on trust and likability will become even more important for both users and developers of dating platforms. Many dating apps already offer their own filter systems – and the quality of the filters that they provide could massively impact how users perceive one another.