In view of the latest research in psychology, we should update the old saying that the eyes are the reflection of the soul and replace “eyes” with “Facebook states”. A Swedish study concludes that updates on this social network reveal whether the user’s personality has traits of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism , which confirms the close relationship between the subconscious and language, also evident through pixels.
The team of scientists from Lund Sverker Sikström University (Sweden) analyzed the states published by 304 users after having them fill out a personality questionnaire. The results showed that those with a character akin to the “dark triad of personality” (narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism) were more likely to write negatively and eccentrically, and frequently mentioned pornography, carnage, prostitution and beheading. . The number of friends in the network and the frequency of publication also acted as indicators of these negative patterns of behavior.
The social network Facebook gives the individual absolute control over the way they present themselves to others and the impressions they make on them, which constitutes a perfect breeding ground for neurotic behaviors. The “dark triad” is characterized by a clear tendency to self-promotion, emotional coldness, duplicity and aggressiveness , qualities that damage social relationships in the long term.
The study authors admit that an individual’s personality cannot be diagnosed just by looking at their Facebook board. However, your status updates are a more reliable indicator of sociability than your number of friends on the social network .
