Do We Perceive People as More Attractive During a Pandemic?

De Boeck, M.; Vaes, K.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens all over the world are largely adopting the use of face masks in public places to reduce potential transmission of the virus. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of a mask on the perception of facial attractiveness. Through an online survey, 102 young respondents assessed the attractiveness of thirteen different faces, each time with one of the following mask conditions: (a) a regular face mask covering the mouth and nose, (b) a mask with a transparent window and (c) no mask. The results showed that faces wearing a regular mask were perceived as more attractive than faces without a mask. However, faces wearing a transparent mask were considered less attractive than faces without a mask. Masks with a transparent window, intended to improve our ability to communicate, could therefore make us appear less attractive compared to a regular mask. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.