Personality Theory At Work In Social Networks Prior To Begin

Personality Theory At Work In Social Networksprior To Beginning Work O

Personality Theory at Work in Social Networks Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the required article by Appel and Kim-Appel (2010) and watch the Episode: 118 - Inside Out: An Introduction to Psychology - The Enduring Self video excerpt, accessible through the ProQuest database in the Ashford University Library. For this discussion, you will build on your experience in the “Personality Theory at Work in Popular Media” discussion from last week by re-examining the major theoretical approaches studied in the class (psychodynamic, behavioral, learning, trait and type, and humanistic) within the realm of social networks. In addition to these five domains, you will also consider the theoretical approaches related to complex models.

Your initial post will be presented in a video format. Please see the instructions for this below. To begin, choose a social networking site (this may be Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter). Choose someone you know in your personal or professional life who has a profile on one of these three social networking services. It is important in your posts and responses not to disclose identifying information about your subject. You may choose a pseudonym by which to identify your selected subject in this discussion.

Choose one of the five domains (psychodynamic, behavioral, learning, trait and type, and humanistic) and create a personality profile based on your current knowledge of your chosen subject using the framework of your selected domain. Then, review the online profile or feed of your subject in your chosen social networking site and create a personality profile based on the information your subject has published on the site using the framework of your selected domain. Compare and contrast the two different personality profiles. Provide an analysis of any differences between the two profiles.

Select one of the models within the complex models domain. Explain the reasoning for the differences between the real-world and online personality of your subject using your selected model within the complex models domain. Research a minimum of two articles on your chosen model and use these to support your statements. Evaluate and describe the usefulness of complex models as they pertain to this exercise in personality theory.

Paper For Above instruction

Personality theories provide a comprehensive framework for understanding individual differences in behavior, cognition, and emotion. When applied to social networks, these theories offer valuable insights into how personalities manifest and evolve in digital environments, often reflecting and contrasting with real-world behaviors. This paper explores how various personality theories can be employed to analyze online personas, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between personality constructs and social media representations.

Firstly, selecting a social media platform such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter offers a unique window into personal expression. For this discussion, I have chosen Facebook, a platform widely used for personal and professional sharing. The subject this paper examines is pseudonymously referred to as ‘Alex,’ a professional acquaintance whose profile reveals aspects of personality aligned with the trait and type theories. In constructing a personality profile for Alex, I focused on traits such as extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism, using the Five-Factor Model (Goldberg, 1991). Based on his online interactions, posts, and shared content, Alex appears highly extraverted and open to new experiences, likely seeking social validation and intellectual engagement. Conversely, when considering a personal acquaintance in real life, Alex exhibits slightly higher conscientiousness and emotional stability, emphasizing reliability and calmness—traits consistent with the psychodynamic and humanistic perspectives that underscore intrinsic motivations and self-awareness (McLeod, 2018).

Comparing Alex’s online and offline profiles reveals notable differences. The online persona demonstrates a tendency towards social bravado and openness, possibly driven by desire for social approval, conforming with behavioral and social learning theories. Offline, Alex’s behavior reflects deeper emotional stability and conscientiousness, traits less visible on social media but more characteristic of his in-person interactions. These discrepancies can be analyzed through the lens of complex models like the Person-Environment Fit theory (Funder, 2001), which suggests that individuals adapt their self-presentation to fit social contexts, influencing how personality manifests across environments. The online persona may serve as a compensatory or idealized self, shaped by feedback loops and social reinforcement mechanisms.

Utilizing the Social-Cognitive Model of Personality (Bandura, 1986), these differences can be understood through mechanisms of reciprocal determinism—where personal factors, environmental influences, and behaviors mutually influence each other. The online environment acts as a distinct social setting, promoting certain behavioral expressions and self-presentation strategies. This aligns with the notion that complex models provide nuanced understanding beyond traditional trait perspectives, capturing dynamic adaptations over time. Research supports that online self-presentation is often strategic, tailored to social feedback expectations (Walther & Burgoon, 1992). Such modeling demonstrates the usefulness of complex models in explaining the divergence between digital and real-world personalities, emphasizing the fluidity and context-dependent nature of personality expression.

In conclusion, analyzing personality through various theoretical lenses within the context of social networks highlights the multifaceted and adaptable nature of human personality. Complex models, especially those incorporating social-cognitive and person-environment interactions, prove invaluable in understanding discrepancies between online and offline identities. These insights underscore the importance of considering environmental influences and self-presentation strategies in personality assessment, particularly in digital contexts where self-perception and external feedback dynamically shape personality expression (Schlenker, 2003). Overall, the application of personality theories to social media underscores the importance of evolving models that accommodate the fluidity of human behavior across diverse settings.

References

• Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.
• Funder, D. C. (2001). The personality puzzle. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Goldberg, L. R. (1991). The international personality item pool and the future of public-domain personality measures. Journal of Research in Personality, 25(1), 39-45.
• McLeod, S. A. (2018). Personality theories. Simply Psychology.
• Schlenker, B. R. (2003). Self-presentational processes. In M. R. Leary & J. P. Tangney (Eds.), Handbook of self and identity (pp. 492–515). Guilford Press.
• Walther, J. B., & Burgoon, J. K. (1992). Relational communication in computer-mediated interaction. Human Communication Research, 19(3), 505–524.
• Appel, M., & Kim-Appel, S. (2010). The Self and Identity in Digital Contexts. Journal of Social Psychology, 150(4), 405–419.