via The Mathematics Of Beauty, at OkCupid blog, they have attempted to evaluate a woman’s potential success (success, in this case, is measured by amount of messages received) vis-à-vis her perceived beauty. This is the gist of their theory:
So this is our paradox: when some men think you’re ugly, other men are more likely to message you. And when some men think you’re cute, other men become less interested. Why would this happen? Perhaps a little game theory can explain:
Suppose you’re a man who’s really into someone. If you suspect other men are uninterested, it means less competition. You therefore have an added incentive to send a message. You might start thinking: maybe she’s lonely… maybe she’s just waiting to find a guy who appreciates her… at least I won’t get lost in the crowd… maybe these small thoughts, plus the fact that you really think she’s hot, prod you to action. You send her the perfectly crafted opening message.
On the other hand, a woman with a preponderance of ‘4’ votes, someone conventionally cute, but not totally hot, might appear to be more in-demand than she actually is. To the typical man considering her, she’s obviously attractive enough to create the impression that other guys are into her, too. But maybe she’s hot enough for him to throw caution (and grammar) to the wind and send her a message. It’s the curse of being cute.
More, including fancy graphics for the math and statistics inclined, at the link above.
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