Spectacles

[petrushkagoogol]

Do spectacles decrease the perceived value of a woman, although the reality may be different?

[Maine farmer]

I doubt it.  You must know of the old saying that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

[petrushkagoogol]

I doubt it. You must know of the old saying that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

Exactly. Focus on the word "eye". :-)

[Maine farmer]

I have seen some women who's spectacle accentuate beautiful eyes.

[CraigD]

Do spectacles decrease the perceived value of a woman, although the reality may be different?

How would you propose quantifying “the perceived value of a woman”? What experiment would you then design to test the hypothesis “spectacles decrease the perceived value of a woman”?

 

For an example of a casual experiment along similar lines, you might look to MythBusters episode 220. This episode had an experiment to find if men were more strongly attracted to women with blonde hair (the “gentlemen prefer blondes” myth), by having the male test subjects rate the same women wearing high-quality blonde, brunette, and red haired wigs on attractiveness, likability, and whether they would date them again. They found no significant difference associated with hair color.

 

As you’d imagine with such an obvious question, the effect of eyeglasses on perceived personal qualities has been studied. The first I came across online was "The glasses stereotype revisited: Effects of eyeglasses on perception, recognition, and impression of faces." Helmut Leder, Michael Forster; Gernot Gerger (2011). A summary of its result can be read free at this lifehack.org page.

 

Interestingly, the study, which distinguished between rimless and full-framed eyeglasses, found that people without eyeglasses are perceived as more attractive and likable, but people with eyeglasses are perceived as successful and intelligent. People with rimless glasses were perceived as more trustworthy than either people without glasses or people with full-framed ones.

 

So the “value” ascribed to a woman, or a man, might depend on how the perceiver values attractiveness vs. intelligence vs. trustworthiness.

[petrushkagoogol]

How would you propose quantifying “the perceived value of a woman”?

From the point of view of finding a mate.

[pgrmdave]

From the point of view of finding a mate.

I can tell you must be really popular with women.

[petrushkagoogol]

I can tell you must be really popular with women.

 

lol.. how I wish that were true .... 

[petrushkagoogol]

How would you propose quantifying “the perceived value of a woman”? What experiment would you then design to test the hypothesis “spectacles decrease the perceived value of a woman”?

 

For an example of a casual experiment along similar lines, you might look to MythBusters episode 220. This episode had an experiment to find if men were more strongly attracted to women with blonde hair (the “gentlemen prefer blondes” myth), by having the male test subjects rate the same women wearing high-quality blonde, brunette, and red haired wigs on attractiveness, likability, and whether they would date them again. They found no significant difference associated with hair color.

 

As you’d imagine with such an obvious question, the effect of eyeglasses on perceived personal qualities has been studied. The first I came across online was "The glasses stereotype revisited: Effects of eyeglasses on perception, recognition, and impression of faces." Helmut Leder, Michael Forster; Gernot Gerger (2011). A summary of its result can be read free at this lifehack.org page.

 

Interestingly, the study, which distinguished between rimless and full-framed eyeglasses, found that people without eyeglasses are perceived as more attractive and likable, but people with eyeglasses are perceived as successful and intelligent. People with rimless glasses were perceived as more trustworthy than either people without glasses or people with full-framed ones.

 

So the “value” ascribed to a woman, or a man, might depend on how the perceiver values attractiveness vs. intelligence vs. trustworthiness.

 

I think spectacles lead to an inferiority complex of sorts as lack of visual acuity gives rise to restriction in perceptual mobility, if you see what I mean....

[Maine farmer]

I think spectacles lead to an inferiority complex of sorts as lack of visual acuity gives rise to restriction in perceptual mobility, if you see what I mean....

I've needed spectacles since the age of 14 and they never caused me to feel inferior, but then again everyone in my family needed corrective lenses.  I am inclined to think feelings of inferiority are caused more by personal experiences.

[petrushkagoogol]

I've needed spectacles since the age of 14 and they never caused me to feel inferior, but then again everyone in my family needed corrective lenses. I am inclined to think feelings of inferiority are caused more by personal experiences.

Beauty and the geek, anyone ? :-)

[Maine farmer]

From the point of view of finding a mate.

Considering the low physiological cost of becoming a father compared to the physiological cost of becoming a mother, a male need not concern himself with any perceived imperfections in the female, he just needs to find one that is willing and able to bear offspring. 

 

 

Beauty and the geek, anyone ? :-)

Possession of one set of traits need not negate the existence of the other.  My sisters were able to marry and have children in spite of imperfect vision, as was my wife.

[Maine farmer]

From the point of view of finding a mate.

A lot of us might not exist if ancient humans were so picky...http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/02/humans-mated-neandertals-much-earlier-and-more-frequently-thought

[JodyScanlon]

Once, my friend wrote for me an essay about lava. Since that time I know a lot about it.  Please, read also this useful page: http://www.d.umn.edu/~rmorton/ronshome/Volcanoes/mafic%20lava.html. I'm sure you will find something new for you!