For online dating, the profile pic can sometimes be all that is considered. eHarmony sites, with long surveys of personal analysis, are giving way to Tinder apps, where a person votes solely on physical appearance. However, a recent study shows that the most beautiful photo of you may not be the best selection for your profile.

Researchers from the University of Connecticut enlisted over 300 participants for their study. The subjects were both men and women, all heterosexual, all between the ages of 17 and 36.

Male participants were shown profile pictures of women; females were shown pictures of men. They were asked to rate the photos on three points: physical attractiveness; trustworthiness; dating desirability.

What the participants did not know was that two profile pictures of each person were in the mix. One photo was ‘enhanced’ meaning the subject used special lighting or physical alterations (such as hairstyling or makeup). The other photo was ‘unenhanced’ meaning the subject was set in natural lighting without any overt physical alterations (minimal hairstyling or makeup).

The study revealed that women voted the enhanced men as both more attractive and more trustworthy. They were more likely to date such men than the guys in the ordinary photos.

The male participants, however, said that women in enhanced photos were less trustworthy. Nonetheless, the men found those women to be more attractive. Despite the lack of trust, the men said that they would prefer to date the women in the enhanced photos as opposed to the ordinary women.

“This finding suggests that even when men suspect that a woman may not look exactly like she does in her profile picture, they are willing to take the risk and pursue a date with her,” said researcher Roy McGloin. “In our sample, attraction seems to be more important than trust.”

“This finding provides an empirical highlight to the concept of catfishing and the larger phenomena surrounding online dating,” continued McGloin, “in which it is both normal and acceptable for individuals’ to mislead or deceive their potential suitors.”

‘Catfishing’ is trend for people to present a false identity to online dating platforms in order to trick people into relationships.

The findings were presented at the 65th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association in San Juan, Puerto Rico.