How we ascertain others’ compassion and values has become tied to their methods to stop spreading a deadly virus. So, how has that changed who we view as attractive? According to a recent study from Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, mask-wearing boosts attractiveness.

The Study

Researchers showed women images of 40 different men of varied races and perceived levels of attractiveness and had them rate their appearance. They were estimated to be between ages 18 to 30, and none had facial obstructions such as glasses, piercings, or beards. The men were shown with a neutral face, wearing a cloth mask, wearing a medical mask, and covering the bottom half of their face with a black notebook. Images of men covered by a medical mask ranked the highest for overall attractiveness, followed by cloth mask, notebook, and full face, respectively. The researchers hypothesize that the “white-coat effect” may explain the difference between attractiveness ratings for medical and cloth masks. This is the idea that women are more likely to find doctors attractive while they’re wearing their white medical coats or associating someone with being in a caring profession. It also may be due, in part, to the understanding that medical masks are more protective against the spread of COVID-19 than cloth masks. “I think that during our current time, this is the case because someone can be viewed as more responsible and caring by wearing a mask during a pandemic. It is very common for humans to associate good virtues with a higher level of attractiveness,” says Dr. Julian Lagoy, a psychiatrist with Mindpath Health. The attractiveness associated with mask-wearing has undoubtedly shifted since the pandemic began. A 2016 study in Japan found that people wearing a medical mask were perceived as less attractive than when without it—a result deemed the “sanitary-mask effect.” Researchers believed that people underestimated how attractive someone was under the mask and associated its wearing with unhealthiness. However, when the study was repeated in 2021 (during the pandemic), the association of masks with unhealthiness decreased. Overall, participants in the most recent study highly agreed that masks have become a standard part of life and effectively limit the spread of COVID-19. It’s worth noting that the study women comprised the entire study, and almost all were white and between the ages of 18 to 24.

According to Whitney F. Cloin, LCSW, a therapist, owner of Saxifrage Counseling & Advocacy, and part of the Frame therapy community, participants’ positive view on mask-wearing is critical to the results. In believing in and feeling a responsibility towards mask-wearing, respondents view others wearing one as a person they would agree with and who would keep them safe.  A mid-2020 study previously found that people wearing masks were perceived as more trustworthy and socially desirable than a bare-faced control group during the pandemic. “Even if just perceived by the person wearing a medical or cloth mask, the feeling that the person can be trusted and cares about safety could create feelings of security,” says Cloin. “Although for this study we are just talking about attractiveness, subconsciously if someone is viewing another person as a potential partner—which often starts with the first moments of attraction — then they are seeking security which can directly be tied to a felt sense of safety and trust with that individual.”  Trust and safety are critical to maintaining a healthy, stable relationship, echoes Lena Queen, LCSW, MEd, a clinical somatic sexologist and owner of Journey Wellness and Consulting Group. “Emotional intimacy allows for vulnerability, connection, and feelings of emotional availability and investment,” they add. “It is important to note feeling more secure towards another person requires feeling secure in one’s own ability to trust themselves and their ability to recognize whether a person is trustworthy or not.” Feeling trust and safety raises oxytocin levels, the neurotransmitter associated with feeling more secure and at peace, says Lagoy. As for why participants viewed men with half their face covered by a notebook as more attractive, it may have to do with mystery. As Queen says, it leaves “the viewer to imagine the attraction of the person based on their understanding of what is attractive to them. While there is a science as to what facial types are attractive, wearing a mask and in western society, value is relayed largely via socio-economic status, popularity, and wealth. All of these values can add to the perception of attraction of a person.”  The pandemic has changed so many parts of day-to-day life, including who you find attractive and why. Priorities have shifted, and things that once would have never seemed important are deal-breakers. As for masks, they’re a rare outward indication of who a person is on the inside. “Attraction is so much more than what we have, weigh, or wear,” says Queen. “Finding a person attractive and not fully being able to see their face may give people an opportunity to truly be seen.”