Open AccessToo Much of a Good Thing? The Relationship Between Number of Friends and Interpersonal Impressions on Facebook
Author(s) -
Tong Stephanie Tom,
Van Der Heide Brandon,
Langwell Lindsey,
Walther Joseph B.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of computer‐mediated communication
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.15
H-Index - 119
ISSN - 1083-6101
DOI - 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.00409.x
Subject(s) - popularity , attractiveness , social psychology , psychology , extraversion and introversion , interpersonal communication , physical attractiveness , the internet , numbering , interpersonal relationship , personality , world wide web , computer science , big five personality traits , psychoanalysis , programming language
A central feature of the online social networking system, Facebook, is the connection to and links among friends. The sum of the number of one’s friends is a feature displayed on users’ profiles as a vestige of the friend connections a user has accrued. In contrast to offline social networks, individuals in online network systems frequently accrue friends numbering several hundred. The uncertain meaning of friend status in these systems raises questions about whether and how sociometric popularity conveys attractiveness in non‐traditional, non‐linear ways. An experiment examined the relationship between the number of friends a Facebook profile featured and observers’ ratings of attractiveness and extraversion. A curvilinear effect of sociometric popularity and social attractiveness emerged, as did a quartic relationship between friend count and perceived extraversion. These results suggest that an overabundance of friend connections raises doubts about Facebook users’ popularity and desirability.