Summary: A virtual reality study finds people tend to judge their bodies more harshly from a first-person view, and see themselves as more attractive when observed from a third-person perspective.
Source: Frontiers
Are we accurate judges of our own attractiveness?
New research published in Frontiers in Robotics and AI suggests that our self-assessments of attractiveness may be skewed by perspective and internal beliefs. Scientists at the Experimental Virtual Environments (EVENT) Lab at the University of Barcelona investigated how people judge their own bodies when experienced from the usual first-person view versus as an outsider looking in.
Study design and methods
The study recruited 23 university students—11 men and 12 women—from the University of Barcelona. Participants completed questionnaires measuring body shape perception and risk factors for eating disorders. Using virtual reality technology, researchers created three individualized 3D avatars for each participant: one based on the participant’s self-described body measurements (their internal representation), one representing their stated ideal body shape, and one based on their actual, measured body dimensions.
Each participant experienced the three avatars from two embodied perspectives: a first-person perspective (the immersive viewpoint that matches everyday self-perception) and a third-person perspective (an outsider’s viewpoint). While immersed, participants rated the attractiveness of each avatar and evaluated how closely each model matched their internal image and their real body.
Key findings
The researchers found a consistent effect of perspective on body evaluation. Female participants, in particular, judged the same virtual body as more attractive when viewing it from a third-person perspective than when embodied in that body from a first-person perspective. The study also revealed that the internal mental representation people hold of their own bodies is often inaccurate compared to their measured body shape.
“Importantly, we also observed that the internal representation that people create of their own body is highly inaccurate.”
Researchers propose that negative prior beliefs about the self can distort first-person evaluations, making individuals undervalue their appearance when embodied. Viewing the identical body from an external vantage appears to reduce that bias, allowing a more neutral or positive appraisal of physical features.
Patterns in ideal body preferences
The study additionally noted convergence in participants’ descriptions of their ideal body shapes, suggesting shared cultural influences within the sample population. Many participants’ ideal body models shared similar attributes, pointing to common standards of attractiveness that may shape personal ideals.
Clinical and practical implications
By offering a way to separate the perceptual input of the body from internalized negative beliefs, immersive virtual reality could serve as a therapeutic tool. Lead author Dr. Solène Neyret explains that showing a person their real body from a third-person perspective may help them perceive their physical features more objectively. This shift in perspective reduced body dissatisfaction among female participants in the study.
Such an approach has potential relevance for treating body image disturbances and eating disorders. Presenting accurate representations of a patient’s body from an external viewpoint may help counteract distorted internal images and negative self-beliefs, guiding attention toward real, measurable features rather than biased perceptions.
Conclusions
The results indicate that perspective matters: the way we experience our own bodies influences how we evaluate them. Third-person virtual perspectives can lessen the impact of negative self-beliefs and lead to more favorable, realistic assessments of one’s physique. While further research with larger and more diverse samples is needed, immersive virtual reality offers a promising avenue for helping people develop a healthier and more accurate body image.
Source: Frontiers
Original research: Solène Neyret, Anna I. Bellido Rivas, Xavi Navarro and Mel Slater. “Which Body Would You Like to Have? The Impact of Embodied Perspective on Body Perception and Body Evaluation in Immersive Virtual Reality.” Frontiers in Robotics and AI. DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2020.00031. Open access.
Abstract (summary): The study measured participants’ internal representation of their body appearance and compared it with their ideal and their real body appearance using immersive virtual reality. Three avatars were created per participant—internal image, ideal image, and real measurements—and were evaluated from first- and third-person perspectives. Female participants rated their real body as more attractive from a third-person view and reported lower body dissatisfaction after the procedure. Authors suggest that third-person perspective may reduce the influence of negative prior self-beliefs and could be explored as an intervention for people with eating disorders to improve body perception and satisfaction.