The Tinder trick: using your camera angle to get them to swipe right

New research shows the science behind how you snap your selfies. Photo / 123RF

By Pat Hagan for Mail on Sunday

First impressions count - and nowhere more than in online dating. But how lifelike are the selfies posted on websites like Tinder?

New research shows both sexes are prone to manipulating their images to create the right impression for potential lovers, target="_blank">reports the Daily Mail.

Men are much more likely to take their selfies from around waist height to make them appear taller, more powerful and more likely to be able to protect their partner.

And women are much more likely to take them from above head height to accentuate facial features and disguise any concerns over body weight.

Some women may also want to make the most of their decolletage by taking a snap from above. Karen Danczuk, former wife of ex-MP Simon Danczuk, became famous for her revealing social media selfies in which she often showed off an expanse of cleavage.

esearchers at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada studied selfies of more than 900 men and women on the dating app Tinder - used by an estimated 50 million people worldwide. They chose it because of it relies on physical attraction to match potential partners. Users swipe right on a picture to allow someone to contact them, or left if they are not attracted.

The researchers discovered that a similar number of men and women - roughly half - took selfies from the front, but there was a marked difference in the use of 'vertical' images.

Almost 40 per cent of men pointed their phones upwards to accentuate their height, compared with just 16 per cent of women.

But 25 per cent of women snapped themselves from above, compared with only 16 per cent of men.

Experts say there are sound evolutionary reasons for the way selfies are composed.

Tall men are generally perceived by women as stronger, more powerful and more fertile than shorter men. Taking a selfie from a lower position also makes a man's jaw look more pronounced - considered a very masculine trait. Women generally do not want to appear too dominant to potential male partners or to be perceived as a threat by men.

In their report, the researchers said: "When taking a selfie for an online dating profile, people intuitively manipulate the vertical camera angle to embody how they want to be perceived by the opposite sex."

Psychologist Dr Jane McCartney said: "For most people it boils down to what is the most flattering picture. But you can see that men would potentially want to look taller and powerful and women would want to appear smaller because that suggests they need protecting."