Martie Haselton, associate professor of psychology and communication studies at UCLA, has co-authored a study with eHarmony research scientist Gian Gonzaga. The study found that asking coeds to reflect on the love they felt for their boyfriends or girlfriends blunted the appeal of especially attractive members of the opposite sex.
The researchers invited 120 heterosexual undergraduates in committed relationships to pore over photographs of attractive members of the opposite sex. “We got the photos from Hot or Not,” Haselton said, referring to the popular dating Web site, “and we only downloaded the hot ones.”
Synopsis: When you’re in love, everyone else looks ugly.
Score one for HotorNot morphing into a market research tool.
