Psychologist Aronson once conducted an interesting experiment in which he discovered an interesting phenomenon called the "Ugly Effect" or "Mistake Effect" by observing people's evaluations of people in different videos. This effect suggests that people who are not flawless and show minor flaws are more likely to win the affection of others than those who appear flawless.
Experimental process and results
In the experiment, four similar interviews were presented to the subject**, who were then asked to comment on the characters in the video.
First video:It shows a very good and successful person, with a natural attitude, extraordinary conversation, and does not show shyness at all.
Second video:He is also an excellent person, but he is a little shy, and accidentally knocked over the coffee on the table during the interview.
Third video:A very ordinary person is shown, who is not too nervous during the interview, but also does not make any fascinating remarks.
Fourth video:is also a very ordinary person, who was very nervous during the interview and accidentally knocked over the coffee.
Surprisingly, the most popular was not the successful guy who behaved flawlessly, but the successful guy who spilled the coffee in the second video.
Interpret the ugly effect
Behind this phenomenon lies a general tendency in the human psyche. People expect perfection but are actually afraid of it. Due to the limitations of individual abilities, there are very few people who can truly achieve perfection, so those who behave too perfectly can give people a sense of inauthenticity.
Why does the ugly effect exist?
Real feelings:People want to interact with real, flesh-and-blood individuals, and overly perfect images often feel like it's hard to connect with them.
Self-protective psychology:Compared to those who are perfect, they seem small. Out of a self-protective mentality, people are more willing to approach successful people who have some minor shortcomings, because it makes them feel closer to the average person and more easily resonate.
It's not about deliberately making a fool of yourself, it's about not striving for perfection
The Ugly Effect is not to advocate deliberate ugliness for grandstanding, but to call for not to pursue perfection excessively. It is not that good people are not allowed to make mistakes or show some small shortcomings, on the contrary, it makes them closer to ordinary people and more acceptable to others.
Explore the psychology of painting
If you're interested in the psychological principles behind human behavior, or how to better understand your own and others' mental states, then the psychology of drawing might be of interest to you. It is a discipline that studies how art affects people's psychology and emotions, and through painting, people are able to express their inner emotions and discover their underlying psychological needs. If you want to know more, feel free to chat and share our amazing experiences about art and psychology.
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