Who uses Facebook? …

An investigation into the relationship between the Big Five, shyness, narcissism, loneliness, and Facebook usage

 an article by Tracii Ryan and Sophia Xenos (RMIT university, Melbourne, Australia) published in Computers in Human Behavior Volume 27 Issue 5 (September 2011)

Abstract

The unprecedented popularity of the social networking site Facebook raises a number of important questions regarding the impact it has on sociality. However, as Facebook is a very recent social phenomenon, there is a distinct lack of psychological theory relating to its use. While research has begun to identify the types of people who use Facebook, this line of investigation has been limited to student populations. The current study aimed to investigate how personality influences usage or non-usage of Facebook. The sample consisted of 1,324 self-selected Australian Internet users (1,158 Facebook users and 166 Facebook nonusers), between the ages of 18 and 44. Participants were required to complete an online questionnaire package comprising the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Narcissistic Personality Inventory – 29-item version (NPI-29), the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS), and the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults – Short version (SELSA-S). Facebook users also completed a Facebook usage questionnaire. The results showed that Facebook users tend to be more extroverted and narcissistic, but less conscientious and socially lonely, than nonusers. Furthermore, frequency of Facebook use and preferences for specific features were also shown to vary as a result of certain characteristics, such as neuroticism, loneliness, shyness and narcissism. It is hoped that research in this area continues, and leads to the development of theory regarding the implications and gratifications of Facebook use.

Hazel’s comment:
As you are aware I rarely comment on the articles I read. I leave it to you to decide if the topic interests you as much as it interested me based on the abstract (which is often all that I’ve read). My typical reader, who is in my mind all the time when I’m reading all these hundreds of journals, is, you will not be surprised to learn, a lot like me.
In this case I was sufficiently interested to wait until I could read the whole article and was fascinated. If you can get hold of the full text, and you have an interest in the psychology of social media, then this is highly recommended reading.
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