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Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Vol. 16, No. 2, 209-223 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/0265407599162005
© 1999 SAGE Publications

Lying to Get a Date: The Effect of Facial Physical Attractiveness on the Willingness to Deceive Prospective Dating Partners

Wade C. Rowatt

Baylor University

Michael R. Cunningham

University of Louisville

Perri B. Druen

York College

This research explored the extent to which people use deception to initiate a date with opposite-sex prospects who varied in facial physical attractiveness. Participants reviewed profiles of prospective dates varying in facial attractiveness, described their own personal characteristics to the prospective dates (study 1), and rated their willingness to lie to make themselves appear to be more desirable to each prospect (study 2). Both men and women deceptively altered their self-presented expressivity and love attitudes to more attractive prospects (study 1), and reported being more willing to lie about their personal appearance, personality traits, income, past relationship outcomes, career skills and intelligence to prospective dates who were higher in facial physical attractiveness, compared with prospective dates who were lower in facial physical attractiveness (study 2). No sex-differences in the willingness to use deceptive self-presentational tactics were found. A strong positive correlation was found between people’s willingness to lie about a specific personal dimension and the extent to which physically attractive individuals differed from other people on that dimension. Thus, it appears that people endeavor to lie to physically attractive people in ways that maximize their similarity with the attractive target.

Key Words: dating • deception • physical attractiveness


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