No Rose-Colored Dating Glasses
We might see ourselves with rose-colored glasses, but apparently we see our dates clearly:
When less attractive people accept less attractive dates, do they persuade themselves that the people they choose to date are more physically attractive than others perceive them to be? Our analysis of data from the popular Web site http://HOTorNOT.com suggests that this is not the case: Less attractive people do not delude themselves into thinking that their dates are more physically attractive than others perceive them to be.
Added: Anna points us to a study showing distorted sight:
Intimates in satisfying marriages perceive more virtue in their partners than their friends or their partners themselves perceive. … In contrast, intimates in less satisfying marriages perceive less virtue in their partners than their friends or their partners themselves perceive.
So perhaps we see accurately on average, but some are biased up while others are biased down. And perhaps we see more clearly while dating than after we’ve been married for a while.
In "attractiveness´ matters" David I. Perrett and long time collaborators have the answer.
Personally, I seem to perceive noticeable visual variance in the attractiveness of my girlfriend even during single day. For instance, she seems very attractive to me during and after sex, while I seem to notice certain non-attractive features of her face when we argue. Perhaps our hormone levels bias our perception of attractiveness.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say she's not an OB regular.