CorpComms Magazine

Users of social networking sites tend to create truthful profiles even though the services create the opportunities to create a virtual identity, a new study concludes. Indeed, members of networks such as Facebook seem to be more interested in developing real connections, according to the research, published in the online edition of Psychological Science.

Co-author of the study, Sam Gosling, a personality and social psychologist in the department of psychology at the University of Texas in Austin, said he was surprised at the findings.

'The widely held assumption is that people are using their profiles to promote an enhanced impression of themselves.' But the findings show that the sites are 'just another medium for engaging in genuine social interactions', he said.

Gosling and his colleagues analysed the profiles of 133 American users of 400 million member site Facebook and 103 German members of the country's popular 'studiVZ' social network. Research assistants reviewed the profiles and rated their impressions. Meanwhile, each user underwent multiple personality tests, while four 'well-acquainted friends' were asked to describe their true personality.

After comparing the profiles with the tests, the researchers found no evidence that users were trying to promote idealised personalities. In fact, Gosling believes the popularity of such sites is due in part to users being able to express their personality accurately. 'It means that profile viewers feel they can trust the information they glean from online social network profiles, building their confidence in the system as a whole,' he said.

share me: del.icio.us | digg | reddit | Tweet