Why some people just don't need 'likes'

Certain people simply don't need your 'likes'.

Researchers at Cornell University have found the type of personality which is immune to social media ego boosts.

Anthony Burrow, a professor of human development, has co-authored a study which reveals that people ‘with a sense of purpose’ are less likely

The study defined people with a sense of purpose as ‘ongoing motivation' that is 'self-directed, oriented toward the future and beneficial to others'.

‘How many likes did I get?’ for the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, addressed the links between positive social media feedback and self-esteem.

Co-author Nicolette Rainone explained their hypothesis - that ‘purposeful people’ would be able to moderate the link between social media feedback and their self-esteem, because they would be able to inhibit impulsive responses towards perceived rewards.

They would also prioritise greater incentives in future over the short term, immediate boost of a Facebook like.

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The study used two experiments; the first measured the self-esteem and sense of purpose of 250 Facebook users across America when they received likes on their Facebook photos.

The second experiment used approximately 100 Cornell students, and set them up on a mock-Facebook social media site ‘Faces of the Ivies’.

The students were told that their photo had received a high, low, or mid ranking number of likes.

Measuring their self-esteem in both experiments, the scientists found that only those with less of a sense of purpose felt the ego boost.

Nicolette Rainone, program assistant for the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement at Cornell’s Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research explained the benefits of having a sense of purpose:

Having a purpose keeps you emotionally steady which is essential for successful academic and work performance.

HT Cornell News

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