I chose to apply the Brusnwikian Lens Model to a random user's Livejournal account for this assignment. According to this theory, outside observers tend to make character judgments based on a variety of environmental cues. This user is on my friends' list, but we only know each other on a "fake-name-only" basis and through various communities.
According to this model, self-directed identity claims are "symbolic statements made by occupants for their own benefit, intended to reinforce their self-views (Gosling et al. 2002)." In this particular instance, the user chose to include an innocuous quote from The Little Hours, which has limited significance to the reader, but (presumably) means something to them on a personal level.
Conversely, other-directed identity claims focus on conveying a desired image and making a statement to others as to how they would like to be seen. This user's subheading is "feminist popcorn," which gives the impression of the user having a quirky sense of humor. This person also included their gender (female) and social networks (college and various Livejournal communities she's involved in). Upon clicking some of the links to the groups and assessing their content, I assumed she is very politically active and concerned with civil rights issues (race and gender equality, workers' rights, and so on) but not militant; this factor is modulated by the subheading on her profile. The groups all have an offline equivalent, which leads me to believe that her activism doesn't end at the computer screen.
Interior behavioral residue consists of "physical traces of activities conducted in the immediate environment." This user allows others to leave comments on her Livejournal entries and always responds in kind, no matter how many comments accumulate. She is always very composed, open and engaging, which leads me to believe she has an outgoing personality and friendly disposition, and enjoys a good debate.
Exterior behavioral residue, on the other hand, are records of her activity outside of the space in question. She is a regular contributor to the communities mentioned previously, and she conducts herself in much the same manner as in her journal. On one of these, she had posted a picture of herself, pets, and her house; this indicates a tendency towards high self-disclosure.
Cues:
Utilization: This user provided several cues that give some insight into what kind of person she may be, some of which are mentioned above. In addition to this, the profile and Livejournal itself are very organized and utilitarian in terms of layout, which leads me to believe she prefers structure and accessibility over flashiness. Her interests are wide-ranged and succinctly stated, her entries are properly tagged - the tags themselves are all on a section of her profile so the reader can quickly access old entries - and all fields of information have been filled out.
Validity: The cues given indicate that this user is a young woman in her late-twenties, currently attends a liberal arts college in New Hampshire, is very politically and socially active, likes animals, and has a generally amiable demeanor. In terms of the Five Factor Model, she would probably rate high in openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion. Her degree of agreeableness is likely dependent on the situation, considering she has very strong opinions about certain subjects. Given the other traits, I doubt she would rate high in neuroticism, but this may be more difficult to assess in CMC than the other factors.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Very interesting blog! I really enjoyed reading it. Since I don’t know much about livejournal, I have a question for you. Is there a place on livejournal which allows you to write your relationship status? It would be interesting to see how many people are “married to their best friends” as a joke on livejournal, just like many people seem to do on facebook. This would go under the Brunswikian Lens Model of Individual (environmental links). Announcing to the world that you are “married” or in an “open relationship” with your best friend in a joking manner is an example of self directed identity claims. It’s clearly an inside joke between you and this other person, but no one else understands the complexity of it, other than the fact it’s a joke.
It’s interesting how you were able to form such an impression after looking through her webpage. You were able to not only make judgments on her personality within the Livejournal space but also were able to make assumptions about her character outside of the space. I also did the same assignment and was not able to make an accurate analysis, which shows that some traits are more visible for some than others depending on the user. It’s interesting how the observer knows as much and even more than what the user might have intended.
Milan,
I agree with Lina! You did such a thorough job of analyzing this person on LJ. I used to have one, for the sake of keeping in touch with my friends who used LJ on a daily basis, and I remember that I filled out the minimum amount of information to get an account--meaning if you were to analyze my page, you would have no idea who I am. This goes back to the idea of managing self-impressions. The person whose page you analyzed clearly wants people to know who she is; she doesn't seem like she is trying to hide anything about her. I think you did a great job, and I found your analysis of which groups she was in really interesting. I liked that you could tell she was more involved with them outside of LJ. Great post!
Post a Comment