Personality traits and psychological motivations predicting selfie posting behaviors on social networking sites
Introduction
Social networking sites (SNSs) provide individuals with an ideal venue for self-presentation (Zhao et al., 2008). These media platforms offer users the ability to present themselves in a more selective and desirable manner by enhancing their profiles (Manago et al., 2008, Zhao et al., 2008). One of the most important components of self-presentation on SNSs is the use of photographic images and particularly of “selfies.” Taking and posting self-photographs has quickly become an integral part of people’s lives. It is reported that the number of selfies posted on SNSs has increased over 900 times from 2012 (Souza et al., 2015), and especially, selfies permeate young adults’ lives; more than the half of millennials post and share their selfies on SNSs (Pew Research Center, 2014a).
This pervasiveness of selfie activities raises questions regarding the psychological factors that might drive such unique form of self-presentation. Scholars have recently examined the psychological meaning of selfie posting by focusing specifically on trait predictors. For example, several studies suggested that narcissism significantly predicted selfie posting frequency (Fox and Rooney, 2015, Halpern et al., 2016, Sorokowski et al., 2015, Weiser, 2015). However, given that selfies are used to display individual identity as well as social relationships, there might be other potentially important psychological factors that could explain various types of selfie behaviors. Since individuals’ preference and use of certain media platforms are likely to be influenced by not only their personality traits but also their psychological needs (Oliver and Krakowiak, 2009, Rubin, 2009), it is important to consider various personality traits and motivations to better understand what makes people post selfies on SNSs. Moreover, demographic variables may influence selfie behaviors. Previous studies have documented that there were gender and age differences in selfie posting frequency and its relationships with trait predictors (Sorokowska et al., 2016, Sorokowski et al., 2015, Weiser, 2015). Accordingly, it is necessary to examine the role of demographic factors in predicting selfie activities in order to fully address this new social phenomenon.
This study aims to examine the psychological determinants of selfie behaviors. First, we examine whether personality traits, involving the Big Five traits and narcissism, would be associated with different types of selfie behaviors (i.e., solo selfies, group selfies, and editing selfies). We also investigate whether the psychological needs—the need for popularity, the need to belong—would be significantly associated with these behaviors. In addition, we explore the ways in which demographic factors might influence the relationships between these characteristics and selfie behaviors.
Section snippets
Selfies and self-presentation on SNSs
In 2013, the Oxford English Dictionary officially added the term “selfie” and defined it as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website” (Oxford English Dictionary, 2013). Although self-portraits existed in the past, the practice of frequently taking photographs of oneself has emerged and developed with the advent of the smartphone and the proliferation of SNSs. This “self-portrait of the digital age” has
Respondents
A total of participants (N = 260) completed the online survey. Of these participants, 137 were males (52.7%), and 123 were females (47.3%). Their ages ranged from 18 to 65 (M = 35.24, SD = 11.32). The majority of them identified themselves as Caucasians (76.2%), 8.5% as African American, 6.5% as Hispanic/Latino, 5.8% as Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.8% as Native American, 0.8% as Middle Eastern, and 1.5% as other racial groups.
Sampling procedure
Data were collected using an online survey. The survey was constructed using a
Results
As earlier studies have found gender differences in selfie behaviors, the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was conducted to identify potential differences in male and female participants’ selfie posting (solo and with a group) and selfie editing. Inconsistent with prior studies, there were no significant gender differences in participants’ selfie behaviors.
To test the relationships between age and selfie behaviors, correlational analyses were conducted. As participants’ age increased,
Discussion
This study explored the psychological determinants of selfie behaviors on SNSs. As these social media platforms provide an optimal venue for selective and positive self-presentation (Zhao et al., 2008), we examined what drives individuals to perform such self-presentation through visual images—specifically through self-photographic images, and how the demographic factors, personality traits, and psychological needs could predict these unique forms of behaviors.
As proposed by earlier studies,
Conclusion
This study found that selfie behaviors are associated with various personality traits and psychological needs. Although selfie posting is commonly viewed as a form of narcissistic behavior, the results of this study suggest that a range of interpersonal motivations as well as egocentric traits underlie individuals’ selfie activities. These results add to our existing understanding of these relationships by determining that personality traits and psychological factors elicit different kinds of
References (54)
- et al.
The NPI-16 as a short measure of narcissism
J. Res. Personality
(2006) Internet and personality
Comput. Hum. Behav.
(2002)- et al.
Social network use and personality
Comput. Hum. Behav.
(2010) - et al.
Narcissism and self-esteem as predictors of dimensions of Facebook use
Personality Individ. Differ.
(2016) - et al.
Personality and self-reported mobile phone use
Comput. Hum. Behav.
(2008) - et al.
Who interacts on the Web?: the intersection of users’ personality and social media use
Comput. Hum. Behav.
(2010) - et al.
Capturing personality from Facebook photos and photo-related activities: how much exposure do you need?
Comput. Hum. Behav.
(2014) - et al.
The Dark Triad and trait self-objectification as predictors of men’s use and self-presentation behaviors on social networking sites
Personality Individ. Differ.
(2015) - et al.
Who blogs? Personality predictors of blogging
Comput. Hum. Behav.
(2008) - et al.
“Selfie-ists” or “Narci-selfiers”?: a cross-lagged panel analysis of selfie taking and narcissism
Personality Individ. Differ.
(2016)
“I know you’ve seen it!” Individual and social factors for users’ chatting behavior on Facebook
Comput. Hum. Behav.
Self-presentation and gender on MySpace
J. Appl. Developmental Psychol.
Narcissism, extraversion and adolescents’ self-presentation on Facebook
Personality Individ. Differ.
What does your selfie say about you?
Comput. Hum. Behav.
Personality and motivations associated with Facebook use
Comput. Hum. Behav.
Who uses Facebook? An investigation into the relationship between the Big Five, shyness, narcissism, loneliness, and Facebook usage
Comput. Hum. Behav.
Self-presentation and belonging on Facebook: how personality influences social media use and motivations
Personality Individ. Differ.
Selfies and personality: who posts self-portrait photographs?
Personality Individ. Differ.
Selfie posting behaviors are associated with narcissism among men
Personality Individ. Differ.
Personality traits, interpersonal relationships, online social support, and Facebook addiction
Telematics Inform.
#Me: narcissism and its facets as predictors of selfie-posting frequency
Personality Individ. Differ.
Identity construction on Facebook: digital empowerment in anchored relationships
Comput. Hum. Behav.
Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions
Selfies, sexts, and sneaky hats: young people’s understandings of gendered practices of self-presentation
Int. J. Commun.
The need to belong: desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation
Psychol. Bull.
Narcissism and social networking web sites
Personality Soc. Psychol. Bull.
Narcissism and romantic attraction
J. Personality Soc. Psychol.
Cited by (73)
Emerging adults’ social media engagement & alcohol misuse: A multidimensional, person-centered analysis of risk
2024, Children and Youth Services ReviewWorld wide web of lies: Personality and online deception
2023, Telematics and Informatics ReportsWhy do Chinese tourists post selfie and who are they? An exploratory study
2023, Tourism Management PerspectivesVirtual teams are here to stay: How personality traits, virtuality and leader gender impact trust in the leader and team commitment
2022, European Research on Management and Business EconomicsSocial media portrait-editing intentions: Comparisons between Chinese and American female college students
2021, Telematics and Informatics