The unprecedented popularity of the social networking site Facebook raises a number of important questions regarding the impact it has on sociality. However, as Facebook is a very recent social phenomenon, there is a distinct lack of psychological theory relating to its use. While research has begun to identify the types of people who use Facebook, this line of investigation has been limited to student populations. The current study aimed to investigate how personality influences usage or non-usage of Facebook. The sample consisted of 1324 self-selected Australian Internet users (1158 Facebook users and 166 Facebook nonusers), between the ages of 18 and 44. Participants were required to complete an online questionnaire package comprising the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Narcissistic Personality Inventory – 29-item version (NPI-29), the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS), and the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults – Short version (SELSA-S). Facebook users also completed a Facebook usage questionnaire. The results showed that Facebook users tend to be more extraverted and narcissistic, but less conscientious and socially lonely, than nonusers. Furthermore, frequency of Facebook use and preferences for specific features were also shown to vary as a result of certain characteristics, such as neuroticism, loneliness, shyness and narcissism. It is hoped that research in this area continues, and leads to the development of theory regarding the implications and gratifications of Facebook use.
The popularity of the social networking site Facebook is unprecedented: It is currently the second most frequently visited website on the Internet (Alexa Internet Inc., 2011) and attracts a global audience of over 606 million people (Gonzalez, 2011). Enthusiasm for Facebook is particularly apparent in Australia, as close to half of the population are reported to be active users (Gonzalez, 2011). In light of figures such as these, it is not surprising that Facebook has been found to impact on the sociality of its users. For instance, a number of studies have found that Facebook use is associated with gains in social capital (Burke et al., 2010, Ellison et al., 2007 and Steinfield et al., 2008). Furthermore, a recent qualitative study suggests that Facebook may be changing the way individuals communicate and associate with one another (Richardson & Hessey, 2009).
Despite the potential implications of Facebook use, there is a distinct lack of empirically derived theory in this area. This may be because Facebook is a relatively recent social phenomenon, and as such, there has been limited opportunity for exploratory research. However, in the last two years, a growing number of researchers have recognised the importance of such research, and are working towards identifying the types of people who use Facebook (Hargittai, 2008, Raacke and Bonds-Raacke, 2008, Sheldon and (2009). Maintain or develop new relationships?: Gender differences in Facebook use. Rocky, 2009 and Tufekci, 2008). In order to effectively achieve this goal, some researchers have focused on the relationship between Facebook use and various aspects of personality (Amichai-Hamburger, 2002, Buffardi and Campbell, 2008, Mehdizadeh, 2010, Orr et al., 2009, Ross et al., 2009 and Sheldon, 2008). According to Amichai-Hamburger (2002), this kind of research is crucial as “personality is a highly relevant factor in determining behaviour on the Internet” (p. 6).
It is hoped that the results within this paper will serve as a foundation for the development of much needed psychological theory relating to the use of Facebook. While a few significant differences have been found between Facebook users and nonusers, for the most part the results of the current study suggests that Facebook appeals to individuals with a variety of characteristics. The data relating to more specific Facebook usage confirms this: Facebook gratifies its users in different ways depending on their individual characteristics. Unfortunately, an in-depth discussion of the specific results underlying this argument is beyond the scope of the current study. However, one of the most noteworthy findings was the tendency for neurotic and lonely individuals to spend greater amounts of time on Facebook per day than non-lonely individuals. For lonely people in particular, it appears that they are mainly using Facebook to partake in passive activities, instead of providing active social contributions. Such findings suggest that not all Facebook users are using the site to improve their social capital, unlike other research had implied (Burke et al., 2010, Ellison et al., 2007 and Steinfield et al., 2008). However, due to the small effect sizes reported in the current study, these arguments require further validation. It is therefore recommended that researchers continue to examine the relationship between individual characteristics and specific patterns of Facebook usage, particularly in samples that are representative of typical Facebook users.
