Heliyon (Jun 2024)
Examining the Postdictive Validity of Self-Report Big Five Personality Traits with Objective Recordings of Online Behaviors: A Ten-Year Retrospective Study Using Facebook Page Likes
Abstract
The present study investigated the postdictive validity of self-report Big Five personality traits using over ten years of recording of online behaviors, namely Facebook Page Likes. We explored how personality traits correlate with interests and preferences expressed through Facebook Likes recorded up to ten years before the personality assessment and examined the consistency of these correlations over time. The recruited sample consisted of 601 adult Facebook users, predominantly young adults, with 73.70 % female and 26.30 % male participants. Facebook Page Likes data were analyzed using topic modeling techniques to extract meaningful indicators of individual difference in user interests. Findings revealed significant associations between personality traits and participants' interests as expressed using Likes over ten years of online activity. Conscientiousness showed consistent negative correlations with leisure and entertainment interests. Openness to Experience positively correlated with interests in artistic and cultural fields, including non-profit organizations, theaters, musicians, and entertainment and media. Extraversion demonstrated positive correlations with social entertainment, such as nightclubs and restaurants. Agreeableness and Emotional Stability did not show significant average associations. There was a negative correlation between the number of Likes and Conscientiousness, suggesting that individuals that are more conscientious express fewer Page Likes. Conversely, a positive correlation existed between Page Likes and Openness. Overall, correlations were small but mostly consistent over time, although correlations with the Openness trait suggested a stronger association with more recent interests. This research underscores the enduring influence of personality on online behaviors, including activity on social media.
