Social-networking sites are a way to find out about people you’re curious about but have never met—say, a prospective employee you’re deciding whether to hire. But when you scan someone’s profile, you probably expect a little fudging: an overly flattering photograph, a generously phrased blurb in the “about me” section. A study in the March issue of Psychological Science, however, suggests that Facebook users do not skew their profiles to reflect idealistic visions of themselves.
In the study, research assistants at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Mainz in Germany viewed the Facebook profile of a study participant, then guessed how he or she would score on the “big five” common personality measures used in psychological research: extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness and conscientiousness. Next they compared the results based on Facebook with the actual personality test scores from the profile owner and the results from four of his or her “well-acquainted friends,” who also rated the person’s personality traits. The research assistants were successful on four of the five measures—all except neuroticism, which is notoriously hard to gauge in general.
Like any guess made from limited information about a person, the personality assessments were not spot on—but they were much closer to what the person thought about themselves than could be expected from chance. This moderate correlation is equivalent to how well people can judge someone’s personality after a first impression, according to past research. So if you do check out that potential hire on Facebook before the interview, you may be able to guess whether you’ll be giving her a tour of the office the next day or pointing her toward the door.
This article was originally published with the title Honesty Online.
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13 Comments
Add CommentThis article is a prime example of the "preconceived notion" that the internet is evil and full of Trolls wanting to fool people into believing they are princes. An honest person looking for a job will very seldom intentionally try to fool you. Not everybody in foolish enough to believe that an employer is too lazy to check their new employees background. Almost all 21st Century businesses hire from the internet. Everyone of my editors were hired from the internet.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJames, your words indicate you live in a fools paradise.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have watched lives become paralyzed and ruined because of lying on Facebook. Much of what goes on therein is honest, or relatively benign, ways for friends to stay in touch, but when someone like me has in excess of 4K friends, it suggests an ulterior motive to just plain friendship, does it not? And when we set out to capture mass appeal, it is often times script writing and acting, is it not? The internet is not evil or full of trolls, but there is just enough of that on the web to make people behave in a cautious and careful manor. Let the buyer beware!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAwe James, you're a small minded guy with the perspective of a child and the mouth of a lumberjack. As for the earthworm, it has survived aeons, something you will not achieve, and I get paid big bucks for looking into human behaviors dear man. Living the good life from it too. Travel the world, spend lots of time on vacation, and write plenty. So, how plush is your life for all your wisdom? Maybe you are one of those FB casualties.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd I do not believe that everyone using FB has a hidden agenda, just enough to make it a place that one would need to exercise extreme caution.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDidn't you mean "there are those who use Facebook who DON'T have the brains God gave an earthworm?" Don't worry, my grammar tend to gets pretty bad when my earthworm brain get excite and I gets to eager too makes fool of my opponents to.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust know that I have counseled families who have lost loved one's to suicide from FB love tragedies. So I am a firm believer that people MUST exercise caution. Deceivers exist, and they seek out the weak and needy, and they prey upon them. In addition, in our society, more people meet through online introductions than anyone would imagine. There is an extreme need for caution. Remember the Craigslist murder, done by a medical student. Everyone and everything isn't perfect.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHah!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn the Internet, men are trolls, women are men and little girls are FBI agents.
Wake up...
Hah!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn the Internet, men are trolls, women are men and little girls are FBI agents.
Wake up...
Highlite...Didn't you read the article? Neuroticism was the one catagory that could not be gauged. There are two types of FB users. Of course there are those who are predators. But most users include their real world friends and family, so lying in their profile wouldn't work. That is why the study came out as it did.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBy the way, I don't believe a word you said about your lifestyle. You live in your parents' basement and lie about yourself every day on the internet. If you were really a writer you would cite your work.
Gotcha.
And on my internet, my men are NOT TROLLS. You must be talking about the heterosexual male. We gay men are HOT, not often couch potatoes. We don't beat our mates, and we are not dead beat dads either.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Jeff with a J"; you are right...Highlite lives in fairy land, and Highlite, you are a boy after my heart.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI know my grammar is sometimes off...I live in West Virginia where my geographical location still use the old southern language and we sometimes run our sentence together and talk in an unintelligent manner to keep scum-bums out of our state. Since this article is about Facebook and the author is apparently a big fan, I can profile myself: I own the largest and most recognized digital publishing company in the world, www.davis-publishing.com and I have three degrees; bachelors in psychology and elementary education from Orange University, a bachelors in Architectural and Mechanical Engineering from Buffalo University, and a masters in Herbal Medicine from The School Of Natural Healing in Utah...feel free to check on any or all of what I just said. I am a nature lover and I care, with a passion, about our environment, and since I am half American Indian, I can account that for the great care I have for this land we live on. I care for this land as I care for the God, or intelligence, that brought us all together.
Well so far I wouldn't never trust a a social network's profile (even if it was very realistic,although it's obvious that we are entering an other era of social relathionships-conception..) In my view the only way to know someone remains meeting personally (and not only once but many times..)-with the internet you can now elaborate so many tricks/"image gymnics" that profiles give only a rough template of the personality you are dealing with..
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