Gentile, B., Twenge, J. M., Freeman, E. C., & Campbell, W. K. (2012).

The effect of social

networking websites on positive self-views: An experimental investigation. Computers in
Human Behavior, 28(5), 1929-1933. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2012.05.012

This experiment, run by Brittany Gentile, Jean M. Twenge, Elise C. Freeman, and W.
Keith Campbell, evaluated the effect of social networking sites (SNSs) on positive self-views.
The experiment consisted of two parts. The first experiment compared an experimental group
spending 15 minutes editing their MySpace page and a control group spending 15 minutes
completing activities on Google Maps; the second experimental compared an experimental group
spending 15 minutes editing their Facebook page and a control group using Google Maps. The
population tested was undergraduate psychology students from San Diego State University. After
spending 15 minutes on their assigned activity (SNS or Google Maps), the students then
completed a questionnaire pertaining to the topic (questions about personal SNS page and friends
vs. questions about Google Maps). Each group then completed a Narcissistic Personality
Inventory test; the Facebook experimental group also completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem
scale test. The results show that the MySpace group had higher levels of self-reported narcissism
as compared with the control group. The Facebook group did not have significantly higher levels
of narcissism, but they did have higher levels of self-esteem. Among both experiments, those
with higher levels of narcissistic traits were likely to have more online friends, have more page
views, and say that their pictures portray the identity they would like to represent. The
differences in MySpace and Facebook users’ results is likely the result of the differences in these
SNSs; MySpace is more self-promotional whereas Facebook is mainly about selective self-
presentation. Overall, the experiment concluded that spending time on SNSs increases positive
self-views such as narcissism and self-esteem but stated that other studies could see if there is a
connection with other SNSs like Twitter and with other online/SNS activities like interacting
with other users.
This experiment was conducted by Brittany Gentile, Jean Twenge, Elise Freeman, and
W. Keith Campbell. When this experiment was run, Gentile was a Graduate Student Researcher
at the University of Georgia under the supervision of Dr. W. Keith Campbell. Campbell is an
expert on narcissism, society, and generational change; he is a professor of psychology at the
University of Georgia with more than 100 published articles on these topics. Dr. Jean Twenge is
a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and has authored more than 130 articles
on the topics of narcissism, social media use, and generational change among young people.
Elise Freeman has co-authored two other studies with Twenge and Campbell, but more
information about her expertise could not be found. However, the expertise of the other three
authors confirms that this experiment is valid and legitimate in the field. Contact information for
each author can be found on his or her respective website, and an email is given under their
names on the article. While this experiment was published in 2012, which exceeds the five-year
currency standard, its findings reveal information about social media and personality
development which still hold true in the field today. Using these findings with awareness of the
changing role of social media and technology will allow current researchers to continue to
employ the findings of this experiment. This study has broad and deep coverage. The
introduction gives general information about SNSs, stating that they “offer a unique platform for
users to share information about themselves via a personalized web page and interact with others
in their social network.” In the discussion of results, the authors give more detailed information
on this topic, explaining that “because Facebook users tend to employ selectively positive self-
presentations on their SNSs profiles, reviewing one’s profile may remind them of things they
have to be proud of – including their social relationships – which might increase self-esteem.”
The broad and deep coverage of the use of SNSs helps to explain the results of the study,
specifically that Facebook users had higher self-esteem than the control group. The authors also
attempt to reduce bias by describing limitations and other studies on this topic. For example, the
authors discuss a study that mirrors their findings regarding Facebook and self-esteem, but they
then state that “another study found that self-esteem was negatively related to self-promotion on
SNSs. Overall, studies have found mixed results for the link between self-esteem and SNSs
activity.” Throughout the article, the authors reference the findings of other studies and attempt
to show multiple scientific views on the issue. These references, as well as outside sources,
corroborate the findings, conclusions, and statements made in this experiment. For example, the
authors state that MySpace users scored higher on narcissism traits involving leadership and
attention; the authors then explain that “this is consistent with research finding that SNSs users
score higher on the narcissistic traits of leadership and exhibitionism than non-users (Ryan &
Xenos, 2011).” The study that is cited at the end can be read by clicking the hyperlink, leading to
another publication in a Human Behavior journal which corroborates the findings of this
experiment. The authors clearly state their purpose, stating that “in the present research we aim
to [use] an experimental design to determine how SNSs affect two positive self-views: self-
esteem and narcissism.” The authors fulfill this purpose as they explain their experiment and the
results, both of which analyze how positive self-views are affected by SNS use. The audience of
this article would be academics and researchers in the field as the experiment is published in the
“Computers in Human Behavior” journal which requires a subscription or university access to
read the publications. The purpose is appropriate for this audience; the findings of an experiment
on SNS use would be helpful and relevant for researchers and academics of human behavior.