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If eyeglasses were ever a utilitarian choice, they are no longer. Now more than ever, people who have 20/20 vision will wear spectacles made of plain glass just to make a fashion statement. If you’ve always hated wearing glasses, this may seem like the last thing anyone else would want to do. For those with eyeglass envy, though, it’s a certain look they crave that can only be fed by the perfect designer frames.
Hollywood has a fascinating approach to eyeglasses: Celebrities who appear frameless on TV or in film may arrive at award ceremonies sporting heavy tortoise-shell squares or circles over their eyes as what we imagine to be their “real” selves. Conversely, eyeglasses can become part of a character’s persona, as with Penelope on Criminal Minds, whose brightly-colored (and presumably expensive) frames change with every episode. Then there’s the stereotype common to romantic comedies of the girl-next-door who flings off her glasses to reveal the sexy seductress lurking within. Men wearing glasses inhabit the large and small screen as well, such as Mandy Patinkin’s Saul on Homeland. His steel frames accentuate his earnest gaze and thoughtful actions as calamity after calamity unfold around him.
Despite the ubiquity of eyeglasses in everyday and dramatized life, the social psychology of impression management has given the matter short shrift. It’s generally assumed that glasses make people appear more intelligent. However, the advantage of intelligence is weighed against the cost of looking (perhaps) less attractive. According to SUNY Oneonta’s Michael J. Brown’s (2011) review of the literature, eyeglass wearers also appear more honest, sophisticated, dependable, and industrious.
However, the world overall does not seem to like men who wear glasses. Brown reports that male eyeglass wearers lose out on the impression of strength and leadership. Both men and women, according to Brown, seem to be more socially awkward when they’re wearing glasses.
Brown was interested in the question of whether jurors would be more likely to provide a verdict of innocence to eyeglass-wearing defendants in a courtroom scenario. Presumably because eyeglass wearers are perceived as less attractive, and people like attractive people more than unattractive people, juries were more lenient with non-eyeglass wearing defendants. However, if attractiveness was related to the crime (as in the sentencing of a con artist), then eyeglass-wearing suspects fared better. Conversely, in judging white-collar crimes, the more intelligent a defendant appeared (i.e. wearing glasses), the harsher the outcome.
Race enters into the picture as well when jurors must decide on the guilt or innocence of eyeglass wearers. Black defendants wearing glasses were perceived as friendlier and more attractive, and even more than whites, less threatening. Thus, although blacks and whites received approximately equal guilty and innocent verdicts, and eyeglass wearers were more likely to be seen as innocent, it was African-Americans wearing glasses who benefited the most based on their appearance alone
Social class is another cue that eyeglasses generate. Nicolas Guéguen (2015) found that eyeglass wearers were seen as representing a higher social class than non-eyeglass wearers. It’s perhaps because eyeglasses create the impression of higher intelligence that this is the case.
You’re probably wondering by now whether the type of glasses someone wears plays a role in this whole process. Glasses come in many shapes and sizes, with rims that range from nonexistent to a half-inch thick. There are circles, squares, ovals, and cat's eyes. They can cover half of your face or the eyes alone. Fashion trends in part dictate the choices people make, but within the range of what’s available on an optician’s shelves, there is enough variation to allow people to choose what they feel best suit them. Having done so, they are now ready to be judged by onlookers on the basis of their choice.
And judged they are.
University of Vienna (Austria) psychologist Helmut Leder and colleagues (2011) decided to hone in on the presence of the rim as a variable influencing the way people perceive eyeglass wearers. After ensuring appropriate experimental controls, the Viennese team found that people wearing rimless glasses appeared less distinctive and memorable to raters but they also seemed more trustworthy.
Full-rim glasses, then, do seem to make your face more trustworthy and distinctive, and to draw more attention to your eyes than no glasses or rimless glasses. We can assume, then, that people make their eyeglass choices on the basis of what they (along with everyone else) perceive to be the effects of eyeglasses on appearance. Once chosen, these eyeglasses further reinforce that desired impression, whether it’s to be perceived as honest, distinctive, intelligent, attractive, trustworthy, or (perhaps) innocent.
Another feature of eyeglasses is the extent to which they display brand logos. Although we have no research to use as a specific guide in this area, we can find some clues from research on fashion consciousness and personality. Swinburne (Australia) University’s Riza Casidy and colleagues (2012) examined the personality traits associated with prestige sensitivity, a term that means "favorable perceptions of price, based on the feelings of prominence and status that higher prices signal to other people about the purchaser” (Lichtenstein, Ridgway, and Netemeyer 1993, 236).
According to Casidy’s research on 251 undergraduates, people with greater prestige sensitivity in their clothing choices were higher on the personality traits of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. If it’s Prada you’re after in your eyeglass choice, in other words, you’re sociable and goal-oriented. People with this orientation “use fashion as a means to reflect their actual/ideal self-concept” (p.297). Another group, high in neuroticism but lower on conscientiousness and agreeableness, also care about fashion brands, but do so out of fear of being rejected by others. Although the same behaviors can be explained by opposite tendencies, it’s possible that the bigger the logo, the more insecure the wearer, so this might provide a cue that you’re trying too hard.
To sum up: Here are the 6 cues your glasses provide to others:
- Honesty: Glasses can make you look more honest.
- Trustworthiness: You may look more trustworthy if you’re wearing glasses with rims.
- Intelligence: People with glasses look like they read more; hence, they are more intelligent.
- Social class: Higher social class is associated with wearing glasses.
- Threat: Glasses take away your apparent threat level, especially if you’re a man.
- Personality: Wearing glasses with logos means you’re fashion conscious, and anxiously so if those logos are there to impress.
Copyright Susan Krauss Whitbourne 2016
References
Casidy, R. (2012). Discovering consumer personality clusters in prestige sensitivity and fashion consciousness context. Journal Of International Consumer Marketing, 24(4), 291-299. doi:10.1080/08961530.2012.728506
Guéguen, N. (2015). Effect of wearing eyeglasses on judgment of socioprofessional group membership. Social Behavior And Personality, 43(4), 661-666. doi:10.2224/sbp.2015.43.4.661
Leder, H., Forster, M., & Gerger, G. (2011). The glasses stereotype revisited: Effects of eyeglasses on perception, recognition, and impression of faces. Swiss Journal Of Psychology / Schweizerische Zeitschrift Für Psychologie / Revue Suisse De Psychologie, 70(4), 211-222. doi:10.1024/1421-0185/a000059
FAQs
Honesty: Glasses can make you look more honest. Trustworthiness: You may look more trustworthy if you're wearing glasses with rims. Intelligence: People with glasses look like they read more; hence, they are more intelligent. Social class: Higher social class is associated with wearing glasses.
How do glasses make people see better? ›
Glasses or contact lenses work so well because they can correct refractive problems. In other words, they bend the light rays in a way that lets you see more clearly. Laser surgery also can correct some vision problems, but it's not allowed for kids because they're still growing.
How do glasses work simple explanation? ›
Glasses correct vision by allowing your eyes to focus light on the correct spot of your retina. The curved frames bend light, and with the right prescription, these frames manipulate the light to reach the correct spot on your retina. The result is a clear, crisp image.
How are people with glasses perceived? ›
“Social psychology has consistently demonstrated that when people are shown images of people with glasses, they find them to be more intelligent, hardworking, and successful, but less active, outgoing, or attractive than people with similar characteristics who do not wear glasses.” Since this stereotype is likely “ ...
Do glasses make people trust you? ›
One experiment found that people who wore full-rim glasses gave off less attractive, but more intelligent vibes compared to rimless glasses or those who don't wear spectacles at all. Glasses reinforced the notion that the person wearing them was more honest, trustworthy and even innocent.
Do glasses make people trust you more? ›
Rimless glasses also made people seem more trustworthy, according to the raters, so they would be great for that job interview. There is also research to suggest however that those of us who like to make a statement with their specs may still be subject to particular judgements from others, as Casidy (2012) found.
How do glasses make you feel pretty? ›
How to look pretty in glasses
- Keep your brows well-groomed. Keeping your eyebrows neat and in a good shape will highlight your eyes despite wearing glasses. ...
- Use concealer. ...
- Use the right eye shadow. ...
- Apply eye liner. ...
- Use a bold lip colour. ...
- Do the right hair-do.
Yes, it does. However, there's no evidence that prescription lenses can affect your physical eye or the cause of your vision loss symptoms. While wearing glasses, you can expect better vision since your glasses will correct your refractive error or other eye issues.
Does wearing glasses make you feel different? ›
Your Eyes Are Still Adjusting
While adjusting to your new glasses, these muscles need to work harder than they used to. As a result, you may get muscle strain within your eyes and headaches. Those who are wearing glasses for the first time are more likely to experience this side effect.
What is the main purpose of glasses? ›
Eyeglasses correct vision problems. If you have trouble seeing clearly, either close or at a distance, eyeglasses can help. They improve how clearly and sharply you see objects at any distance. Most vision problems are related to how light focuses on the retina.
Use “glasses” in a sentence
The glasses are small in comparison with the old ones. I need new frames for my glasses. Everything is a blur when I take my glasses off. He put on his glasses and began to read.
What is the main reason for glasses? ›
The most common reason for needing glasses is to correct blurry vision. Whether the blurry vision is in the distance (such as nearsightedness), up close (such as farsightedness), or both (such as astigmatism), glasses can be useful to provide clarity in these cases.
Why do glasses make people look smart? ›
But just about everyone, including psychologists, agrees that four-eyed dweebs look smarter and more qualified for jobs than people who don't wear glasses. There's a historical explanation for the stereotype: Glasses signaled that you needed your eyesight more than other people.
Do people think people with glasses are smart? ›
It's also worth noting the psychological link between glasses, intelligence, and physicality. People who wear glasses are more often perceived as smarter, less threatening, and more honest than people who don't wear glasses.
How do glasses impact society? ›
The invention of eyeglasses has increased productivity over the ages. In the past, active, productive members of society had to stop working, writing, reading and using their hands for skillful tasks at a relatively young age. With eyeglasses, these members were able to continue their work.
Do glasses hide your identity? ›
However a recent study at the University of York has shown that even the smallest change to someone's facial appearance, like wearing glasses, can shift our ability to identify them… if we don't know them.
Is it less attractive to wear glasses? ›
Participants rated images without glasses as being more attractive, intelligent, and more confident compared to similar images with eyeglasses.
Should glasses hug your face? ›
How Glasses Should Rest on Your Face. The right pair of glasses should rest comfortably on the bridge of your nose, and should not press against your forehead or cheeks. But they shouldn't rest so far towards the end of your nose that they slip when you squint or wrinkle your nose.
Do glasses make girl more attractive? ›
Anyone with glasses can tell you that eyeglasses make you look undeniably hot. Research by the Swiss Journal of Psychology in 2011 goes ahead to provide evidence that most people view bespectacled individuals as more attractive, intelligent, and likable.
Do glasses make you look sexier? ›
According to a street survey, women found men wearing glasses to be up to 75% sexier than those without them. This is a rock solid proof that many women find men with glasses to be hot & irresistible. Go ahead and try on your favourite pair, wearing eyeglasses will only add to your attractiveness quotient.
You can stop wearing your glasses or contact lenses for many eye conditions without risking your eye health. You may experience uncomfortable symptoms, but it won't damage your eyes. For example, when patients with hyperopia stop wearing their glasses, they won't see close distances clearly.
Do eyes get lazy with glasses? ›
Some people mistakenly believe that wearing glasses weakens our eyesight. While glasses correct vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, they do not cause our eyesight to deteriorate..
What happens if you wear glasses that are too strong? ›
When your prescription feels too strong, you might experience headaches, nausea, and eye strain, among other things. It might not be clear why your prescription feels wrong, but it doesn't take long to notice something's off.
Can I take off my glasses once in awhile? ›
Taking a break from them allows your eyes to rest. Fact: If you need glasses or contacts for distance or reading, use them. Not wearing your glasses will strain your eyes and tire them out instead of resting them. However, it will not worsen your vision or lead to eye disease.
Are glasses more attractive than no glasses? ›
Participants rated images without glasses as being more attractive, intelligent, and more confident compared to similar images with eyeglasses.
How long does it take for eyes to adjust to new prescription glasses? ›
Most people get used to new glasses within two to three days, although it might take up to two weeks. If your vision is still blurry and you're dealing with headaches, you may need a different prescription or type of lens. If your prescription is wrong, your eyes and brain will not adjust to it, no matter what you try.
What is the most important part of glasses? ›
Lenses. For many people, the lenses are arguably the most important part of any pair of eyeglasses. After all, they are the things that correct your vision! The lenses are the clear pieces of glasses, plastic, or other materials that you see through, which are held by your frames.
What are some example sentences? ›
1. Simple Sentences
- Joe waited for the train. "Joe" = subject, "waited" = verb.
- The train was late. "The train" = subject, "was" = verb.
- Mary and Samantha took the bus. ...
- I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station. ...
- Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station early but waited until noon for the bus.
An "example sentence" is a sentence written to demonstrate usage of a particular word in context. An example sentence is invented by its writer to show how to use a particular word properly in writing. Such examples are placed following a given definition, to make it clear which definition they illustrate.
How do I write a sentence? ›
A sentence follows Subject + Verb + Object word order. He (subject) obtained (verb) his degree (object).
You should expect your vision to improve when wearing glasses because they will help correct your eye issues. Choosing not to wear glasses can cause some eyesight loss symptoms to recur. It is best to wear your glasses as recommended by your eye doctor.
Are people with glasses considered less attractive? ›
A new study published in Cureus by researchers from the University of Jordan found that people who wear glasses are perceived to be less intelligent, less confident and less attractive.
Do glasses make you look older? ›
The study reported that people wearing eyeglasses were perceived as 3.3 years older; glasses-wearers over 45 were thought to be 5 years older. Although those numbers seem reasonable, the topic merits a more formal approach.
Are you more attractive with or without glasses? ›
Participants rated images without glasses as being more attractive, intelligent, and more confident compared to similar images with eyeglasses.
Do men look less attractive with glasses? ›
Participants evaluated others on a scale of one to 10.
A March study published in the journal Cureus found that wearing glasses could actually make you appear less attractive, as well as less confident. Interestingly, the study further found that glasses made people seem less intelligent.
Is wearing glasses inside rude? ›
First of all, it is totally disrespectful, but common sense would also tell the wearer, it is difficult to see inside without removing them and therefore, one could easily trip and fall. How embarrassing that would be. Secondly, it is extremely rude to carry on a conversation with anyone wearing sunglasses indoors.
Is it rude to wear glasses inside? ›
Anytime you are meeting someone in public, such as inside a home, a retail store, an office building, a lunch or an office meeting, or a restaurant, you should give the person across from you your undivided attention and respect by taking your shades off.
Does your eyesight get worse without glasses? ›
If you're an adult who needs glasses due to blurred vision, not wearing glasses doesn't make your eyes worse, but it makes your eyes work harder. Corrective glasses allow your eyes to work less hard which reduces eye strain and all the other unpleasant effects of not wearing your glasses (when you need them).
