What attracts men to a profile?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2005
What attracts men to a profile?
13
Sat, 04-14-2007 - 11:19am

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-08-2003
Sat, 04-14-2007 - 11:30am
I think there may have been a flaw in their study. I have a profile on POF and have noticed when I look at a profile for a woman that has a picture of her large chest barely covered, there are usually over a hundres men that have her on their favorite list.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2006
Sat, 04-14-2007 - 1:32pm

I thought it was interesting. I guess I'm weird- I'll actually read the text of a profile. :) And I thought all 5 pictures were cute, so depending on what the actual text said, I may or may not have written to any/all of them.

I think that without any serious surveying of the men who responded, it's taking too much of a leap to assume what they were thinking. I noticed that during the video it was all the editor/writer's projections of the men and what they were looking for, from their first email.

It seems to me that's making as much (or more) of an assumption, from a single email, as she believes the men were making from those pictures.

But she's right about one thing- the "girl next door" look was very attractive because she seemed like a gal you could take to a ball game or hang out with, yet was still really quite hot. I'd have emailed her. ;)

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2003
Sat, 04-14-2007 - 2:25pm

ITA, not a very scientific study. Which picture went up first? IMHO the first look at a profile is the most important...Even if you change the pictures you are not going to change that perception much.

IMHO the girl next door photo was the most neutral---it expressed less about her personality than the others.

I also have to say that in my area we don't get professionally take photos...we get blurry cropped shots of people at parties or pictures people take of themselves.

My bottom line...I don't want to attract a high quantity of hits. I want quality hits! So for my photos to flatter me as well as tell something about me I think is important. And if they make me look like the girl next door, well, that is because I am!

RR---thanks for sharing the link! It was definitely interesting.

sooooobig
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2006
Sat, 04-14-2007 - 3:26pm

I think the point was that they posted *separate* profiles, each one with the exact same text, but with a different picture, and only one picture per profile.

And you're absolutely right, it's not very scientific. If they posted them all in the same city, some guys might have realized it was the same thing posted 5 different ways. If they posted them in different cities, there might be different numbers of available guys... lots of problems with the "test".

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-21-2005
Sat, 04-14-2007 - 8:45pm

I agree with the other posters that said the study was flawed; however, I had actually heard the same thing before. I read in a book at one point, that when men were shown several different types of pictures (no profiles), and asked to describe the individual based on the pictures, they consistently said the most favorable things about the "girl next door" type. So, I do think there is something to the study. I think showing off your body in a sexual way on a profile is a big mistake; well, unless sex really is all you're looking for.

Anyway, that was an interesting story. Thanks!

Avatar for mhash
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 04-15-2007 - 12:04pm

For me I use the picture as the first screen. I do judge the whole profile by the picture first. If I am attracted to her picture THEN I read her profile. I don't screen based on whether she looks sexy vs. girl-next-door vs. intellectual looking vs. ... I just look to see if she looks attractive or not.

Mark

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2006
Sun, 04-15-2007 - 2:27pm

I definitely agree with Mark- the picture is the first screen. I said "I actually read the profile" but I guess I should have stated "if I find the gal in the picture attractive". I just took it for granted that I wouldn't bother reading the profile of a woman that I didn't think was cute. :)

I'll bet that a psychologist or sociologist could have a great time studying how men and women browse through an OLD site. I bet men are much more "viewers", scanning over the pictures and such, while women... well, I don't know HOW women browse.

The thing that this experiment (in the OP) makes clear is that guys are VERY driven by different pictures. So what is it that drives women?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Sun, 04-15-2007 - 3:26pm
Interesting.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2003
Sun, 04-15-2007 - 5:38pm

Well, it is all subjective...because what if Down to earth=sexy! For example, Rebecca, your pictures are down to earth, girl next door casual, and I think you're totally hot!

So, what are women browsing for?

My search criteria are very broad. My only absolute NOs: smokers and men who describe themselves as carrying a few extra pounds on up. I just like my guys skinny! and I'm finding anyone 6 feet or over at the bottom of my list (my ex is 6+ and a few extra pounds) I limit it to men under 25 miles away===I've had some trouble with my 35 mile man, it is just too hard to be last minute.

Photo criteria: must be a decent photo, not one taken in the bathroom mirror. Bulging muscles are a HUGE turnoff as are anyone without a shirt...it just portrays values I don't value. I typically look at all photos, not just the main one because you never know...I don't care if you are a geeky or have one not so great feature. I'm not looking for LOOKS so much as a certain level of confidence evident in the photo.

Profile...I tend to scan quickly to college education/profession. I'm avoiding Sales/Marketing since that is what took my Ex away from home so much and led him to be so fake with people...he'll say anything to close the deal. I don't mind a blue collar type BUT I also need a certain level of literacy so I look at Length of profile AND quality of writing. That works both ways...a guy who isn't into words is going to get frustrated with me really fast.

And religion. I'm not opposed to people of a variety of faiths, I'm a Unitarian Universalist and we are extremely open to all beliefs, but some with strict beliefs are not so tolerant of us.

Guys who are too interested in sports (watching or playing) go to the bottom of the list, and I also wonder about anyone with a very serious hobby---such as flying their own plane or deep love of motorcycles. I want a guy who will be interested in ME, not off in the wild blue yonder pouting because I can't/won't put down my own interests to take off with him.

Okay, I'm starting to feel picky, but at this point (I'm really just beginning to OLD) I can afford it. Maybe this summer I'll give those guys low on the list a chance and discover a gem...

I think the bottom line: I go with my gut and email the guy that I find myself thinking/wondering about the longest.

sooooobig
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Sun, 04-15-2007 - 5:58pm

I look, obviously, at photos 1st. B/c if Im not attracted to them, then why would I e them?

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