Impact of posting Narcissistic Facebook statuses on impression formation and coworking desirability
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Abstract
Individuals currently have the ability to form positive impressions of themselves through status updates on Facebook. However, little is known about the influence of self-descriptions on Facebook statuses on peer perception, especially when narcissistic contents are included. This study aimed to examine the impact of posting narcissistic Facebook statuses on impression formation. Specifically, it attempted to explore how types of narcissistic self-descriptions on Facebook affected perceived warmth, competence, likability, and coworking desirability. Using an experimental research design, 201 Thai participants (aged 18-35 years) were randomly assigned to look through one of five imitation Facebook profiles and rate the target person. The results supported the hypothesis that the target who posted an agentic narcissistic Facebook status with self-oriented tactics was rated to have lower degrees of warmth than those who posted communal narcissistic statuses with other-oriented tactics and nonnarcissistic Facebook statuses. However, posting both agentic and communal narcissistic self-descriptions on Facebook reduced likability and coworking desirability. Findings from this research contribute to the literature on social media behaviors and the drawbacks of Facebook posting by highlighting that bragging on Facebook via status updates, even in another-oriented manner, could result in negative social judgment. This study has implications for raising awareness about the harmfulness of posting boastful statuses on Facebook.
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