Scientific way to choose the best photo for your profile

You think you know what picture to put on the avatar in the social network or attached to the resume? Scientists believe exactly the opposite.

Australian researchers have found that we are unable to choose the best photo for your own userpic in social networks, apps for dating or sites associated with the work. Much better others do for us.

For their studyChoosing face: The curse of self in profile image selection. scientists gathered a group of 102 students and asked each to provide 12 photos, which can be clearly seen his face. Then they asked subjects to choose two pictures (best and worst), they could be placed on the avatar in Facebook, on the professional website (LinkedIn) And on a dating site (Match.com). Following the same task for each performed another study participant.

After this, a new group of people appreciated the self-selection of participants and the choices that others have done for them. It considers not only the attractiveness of the person in the photograph, but also the appropriateness of the picture to a specific network context.

In all cases, the other choice was more successful.

Here are a few examples from the study. In the first row are the worst and the best images selected by students on their own, in the second - chosen for them by others.

The study's authors suggest that other people better understand how to respond to this or that our photo strangers. So, for the dating site they chose pictures in which people look more attractive and professional websites - more competently.

The same study noted that now the choice a photo a profile is critical. On it depends the first impression that we make about other users and their further actions.

So ask for advice from friends before changing the avatar. Perhaps, and will respond to messages more frequently and on a date to call, and can be, and will offer a new class work.