Researchers asked 1,030 participants to self-evaluate how attractive they deemed themselves, how likely they were to wear a Covid-19 face mask and if certain situations, such as a job interview or walking the dog, impacted their willingness to wear one.
The results showed that the more attractive a person perceives themselves, the less likely they were to wear a mask because they thought the mask made them less attractive.
This group was less likely to wear a mask during a job interview.
(hmmm….)
Inversely, the less attractive someone found themselves, the more likely they were to wear a mask.
This group also was more likely to wear a face mask during a job interview.
“Our findings suggest that mask-wearing can shift from being a self-protection measure during the COVID-19 pandemic to a self-presentation tactic in the post-pandemic era.”
For mundane activities such as walking a dog, people were less likely to care about their looks and thus, were less motivated to wear a mask. But those who see themselves as attractive were still more likely to feel the need to make a good impression.
The study was published in the Frontiers of Psychology journal in late January.