London: If you are of the opinion that, when it comes to dating, you can attract partners by your wit, inherent charm, warmth and creativity as much as your physical appearance, you can pat yourself at your back, but only if you're a man. Women are a tad unlucky in this regard.
A study published this week by the Royal Society says that if you're an "average-looking" or ugly man, being witty, entertaining and imaginative will increase your overall attractiveness, the Independent reports.
But the bad news for the womenfolk is that having an interesting personality does little to improve the dating prospects - in fact, it could even harm them. The research, authored by Christopher Watkins, a lecturer at Abertay University, surveyed 89 men and women with an average age of 23.
One group of participants was asked to rate the attractiveness of male and female head shots without knowing anything about them. A second group of participants rated the same people, but this time they were supplied with information about their personalities. This came in the form of short essays they had written. In one, they were asked to describe a painting, and in another, they were asked to invent an additional use for a car tyre.
The volunteers rated less physically appealing men, who had written creative essays as more attractive overall, but rated less physically appealing women, who had written creative essays as less attractive overall. Meanwhile, the most good-looking women were deemed to be the most attractive, regardless of how creative they were.
The study adds that the double standards can be explained by evolutionary biology - women are "more selective" about choosing a partner and creativity could be a sign of greater intelligence.
