Not how girls work, they say... well, only 83% anyway.

It's similar to the halo effect which is based on physical attributes of beauty.

Many of our perceptions about the world is based on the surface level interactions (which is what we see). To interact with an object beyond it's surface level appearance requires energy/time. We have to balance the act of investigation with the actual cost of perceiving it wrong when we interact with people on the daily basis.

This is where preferences become more prevalent in todays dating culture. Because with dating apps, women are inundated with too many options. So each option becomes a lower importance. It's easier to just screen out 1000s of potential mate with arbitrary presuppositions, like height or income, than to actually talk to 1000s of potential mate to see if they are actually good people. When given too many options, any potential superficial flaw are a deal-breaker. This is why women tend to seek out flawless men on dating apps.

If you have very few options, like maybe a dozen, then each one becomes more important. Thus you become more tolerant of superficial flaws, and are more willing to investigate the person to see if they are fit to be partners with.

Men who have low standards and are willing to jump at any opportunity for intimacy are driven by desperation. Having no option make each potential encounter the most important one you will have. Thus all flaws that may be potential barriers to a relationship are ignored.