Which Post Will Impress the Most?: Impression Formation Based on Visual and Textual Cues in Facebook Profiles

Abstract

The existing research presents ambivalent evidence regarding the significance of visual cues, as opposed to textual cues, in the process of impression formation. While textual information might poses a stronger effect due to its solid and unambiguous character, visual information may have a stronger effect due to its vividness and immediate absorption. This debate is particularly relevant in the context of online social networks, as they are constructed on the sharing of textual and visual elements between their users. Two consecutive online studies test the main research question: Which elements of one's Facebook profile have a more significant influence on impression formation- pictures or texts? Study 1 found that outside the context of Facebook, textual cues were more dominant in the process of impression formation. Study 2, which tested impression formation via Facebook, further corroborated this result; suggesting that the textual cues are also dominant in the context of online profiles. Moreover, these effects were influenced by individual characteristics of the participants, such as 'need for cognition', in a manner that individuals with a high need for cognition placed more emphasis on textual cues. Amount of 'likes' also influenced the impression formation, especially when the profile owner was perceived as manipulative. Additional interactions and further implication are discussed.