What your Facebook "likes" reveal about you

New statistical models from Cambridge researchers can predict users' personal attributes with startling accuracy

Published August 9, 2013 3:35PM (EDT)

                  (Sarawut Aiemsinsuk/Shutterstock)
(Sarawut Aiemsinsuk/Shutterstock)

Researchers at Cambridge University have created statistical models, based on Facebook Likes that are able to predict religion, race, sexual orientation, amongst other personal attributes, with startling accuracy. To provide data for the study, 58,000 U.S. volunteers submitted their “likes,” demographic information and underwent psychometric testing using the myPersonality app created in 2007 by Dr. David Stillwell.

Information from this initial dataset, corroborated with personality test results and profile information, was fed into algorithms that could then be used to make inferences of Facebook user’s personal attributes. This infographic will showcase some of the study’s most interesting findings.

Facebook Likes: How Revealing Can They Be? (Infographic) image FacebookLikesReveal1.4.1

Infographic by Alex Boiesan


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Cambridge University Facebook Likes Personal Attributes Statistical Models Study