Just as we all suspected, people who constantly post about their diets and workouts have psychological problems.
Researchers at Brunel University in London say they can predict your Facebook posts based on your personality traits.
Some of the findings seem like common sense. Extroverts post about social events, and narcissists Facebook about their achievements, but the Brunel University in London also found some surprising stats.
· Conscientiousness was associated with writing more updates about one’s children.
· People with low self-esteem more frequently posted status updates about their current romantic partner.
· Narcissists more frequently updated about their achievements, which was motivated by their need for attention and validation from the Facebook community. These updates also received a greater number of ‘likes’ and comments, indicating that narcissists’ boasting may be reinforced by the attention they crave.
· Narcissists also wrote more status updates about their diet and exercise routine, suggesting that they use Facebook to broadcast the effort they put into their physical appearance.
UC Irvine cultural anthropologist Mimi Ito says this study helps people understand their own online habits.
"It really just gives us a tool for reflecting on our own personality," said Ito. "What's compelling us to post online? What aspects of our self are we trying to express in that status update about our kids, our partner--the bowl of soup we just had."
Those with the "openness" personality type tend to Facebook about intellectual topics like news, politics or books.
"These kinds of posts about news and intellectual topics tend to get fewer likes than what the extroverts post about their social life," said Ito.
The Brunel study only focuses on Facebook. Professor Ito speculates that different platforms, like Twitter or Instagram, may reveal even more about our personalities.
