First Impressions & Facebook

When we meet someone new we form an impression of who they are. According to Kaye and Wall (2017), “when psychologists study people’s personalities, they typically judge five key traits: extroversion, openness to (new) experiences, conscientiousness, emotional stability and agreeableness”. Interestingly, when meeting someone new we are more likely to view them favourably if we perceive them to be extroverted (Kaye & Wall, 2017). With the emergence of Facebook, people look for clues about these key traits by making judgements about someone’s online profile.

So how does impression formation work online? “Warranting theory” explains that users judge other users’ personalities based on credibility, the value of social cues given, and the characteristics that these social cues portray (Hall & Pennington, 2013). Hall & Pennington (2013) argue that social cues on Facebook can actually tell us more about a person’s personality than we think. Interestingly, Hall & Pennington (2013) found that key traits can be linked to certain cues on Facebook, for example:

• Openness: someone who is open is more likely to display artistic information on their profile.

• Extraversion: an extravert is more likely to have more FB friends, have more people in their photos, use emojis more, and express positive emotions via text.

• Agreeableness: generally use Facebook less, fewer status updates and sharing so they don’t clog up the newsfeed.

• Neuroticism: usually shown through a lack of emotional expression through a lack of pictures of the self.

• Humour: humour is subjective so multiple attempts in different Facebook spaces would portray someone as funny eventually. Also, positive responses from friends on humorous posts portrays to strangers that the user is considered funny.

• Narcissism: having a sexually provocative profile picture, as it shows the need for exhibitionism and possibly an inflated sense of self.

So, are these first impressions on Facebook accurate?

Interestingly, Kaye and Wall (2017) argue that our first impressions of others are more accurate online than face to face. Although some traits are easier to detect face to face like whether someone is an extravert (Kaye & Wall, 2017). Moreover, Hall & Pennington (2013) suggest that some people are more accurate at guessing someone’s personality and characteristics when it comes to looking at their social media.

However, the judgements we make during first impressions online are limited since anyone could be lying. But blatantly lying on Facebook is difficult since a dishonest presentation on

Facebook is risky because as so many FB friends are familiar with the user both online and offline (Hall & Pennington, 2013, p. 27).

Impression management can also influence how we form impressions of others. Cunningham (2013, p. 17) found that impression management via social media is “a balancing act between enhancements and vulnerability, and between authenticity and selectivity”, all of which puts pressure on the user who is the subject to the impressions of the audience. It is a balance between staying true to yourself (whatever that looks like for you) and playing your social role (being who other people think you are).

So, we only get a glimpse into what the user wants us to see, which suggests that online impressions are inherently only an echo of the true offline self.

References

Cunningham, C. 2013, Social networking and impression management: self-presentation in the digital age, Lexington Books, Maryland.

Hall, J. & Pennington, N. 2013, ‘What you can really know about someone from their Facebook profile (And where you can look to find out)’, in (ed.) Cunningham, C., Social networking and impression management: self-presentation in the digital age, Lexington Books, Maryland.

Kaye, L. & Wall, H. 2017, ‘You can tell more about a person from their Facebook page than by actually meeting them’, The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/you-can-tell-more-about-a-person-from-their-facebook-page-than-by-actually-meeting-them-77035.