Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I do not know why anyone else would really care about my project. It is about if people are more attracted to natural faces vs. faces that have make up/ photoshopped. I want to find out the results for myself out of curiosity, but how would it help or entertain anyone else?

Hi,

The purpose of a science project is to explore something that you are interested in. If we knew the answers to everything, then there wouldn't be much point in doing research. One of the main joys in doing science is that you don't know the outcome or benefits of your experiments ahead of time. I think your question about natural versus overly made-up faces is a perfectly good one.

Psychosocial research is a very interesting area of study right now. It helps to create more sensitive advertising and may be useful in international diplomacy where one party may not be aware that their appearance or actions can have unintended consequences.

Stick with your ideas and let us know how we can specifically help you to design a meaningful project.

Good luck!

Sybee

Hi faith1799,

Sybee gave you some fantastic advice! Your project should answer a topic you are passionate about, and that's exactly what makes science so appealing. Psychological research like yours definitely has implications in the social world, so I highly encourage you to pursue it should you choose to do so. I know quite a bit about research methods and studies in psychology--so please post back, and I'll be happy to help you design an experiment as well.

Regards,
scibuddyAK

Hello there,

I wholeheartedly agree with the previous two experts that part of the fun of doing science is to be able to explore topics that interest you! To grab the attention of others, it really all comes down to how you present and sell your story/results. In addition, the more enthusiastic you are about your project as you are presenting, the easier it is to engage your audience. If you feel really strongly about exploring the question you mentioned to us, you should do it! Do a bit of research on this topic and see what you can find on what has already been done. By doing so, you may be able to uncover other aspects of this topic which you haven't thought of, and this will further help develop your ideas. Feel free to post back as you are brainstorming and we'll all be glad to help you out.

Best,
Connie

Your project would matter to people for the following reasons:

1) Internet dating
Physical appearances are an important factor in attracting mates online, and photos are a key component of online profiles. In contrast to face-to-face interactions, online communication provides limited insight regarding how a person acts in a social situation occurring in real-time, because people cannot observe each others' facial expressions and physical gestures. Thus, people seek to attract mates by creating impressive online profiles that feature attractive photos of themselves. However, photos can be deceiving, and some people use photo-shopped pictures to make themselves look more attractive. Others such as catfishes create alternate identities and attract mates by using photos of unknowing individuals. Your experiment on whether people prefer real to photo-shopped pictures (assuming that they can tell the difference) can provide insight on how to succeed at online dating.

2) Societal standards of beauty
Images of female models featured in advertisements are often photo-shopped to make models look thinner, creating public outcry against the promotion of unhealthy body images to young girls. Some concerned consumers advocate that companies use images of "real" women and not use photo-shopped images. Ironically, one photographer photo-shopped images of thin models to make them appear to have healthier proportions. Thus, some may argue that photo-shopped images aim to present an ideal way to look, and that the images are not intended to be representative of the average American female. By asking people about their opinions regarding photo-shopping, your experiment can also provide insight on effective advertising techniques.