By Natalie Asorey
College freshmen might want to take a look at their Facebook profile pictures for a peek at their life satisfaction once it?s time to turn the tassel.
Two longitudinal studies showed that smile intensity coded from a Facebook profile picture from participants? first semester in college predicted self-reported life satisfaction as they approached graduation.
The studies were conducted by Shigehiro Oishi and J. Patrick Seder of the University of Virginia?s psychology department, and results were published in October.
Oishi and two other research assistants coded for smiling intensity by looking at two muscles associated with smiling ? one that causes raised cheeks and squinting and another that raises the corners of the mouth ? and rated each from one to five. The scores were added to create an intensity scale of two to 10, with 10 being the most intense.
Participants with higher intensity scores were found to be more satisfied with their lives both at the end of their first semester and after three and a half years, as they were about to graduate.
According to the report, the association ?between smile intensity and life satisfaction was partially mediated by the quality of participants? first-semester social relationships.?
The research does not show the extent to which such social relationships act as a link, however.
According to the report, smile intensity may indicate that a person acts similarly in ?real life? and therefore has more positive relationships or that those who smile more intensely may elicit the same positive responses in others, thereby solidifying relationships.
Alexander Cantillo, a junior psychology major at the University of Florida, says she believes both may be valid reasons.
?The more you smile, the more positive you feel about yourself and the happier you become with life,? he said. ?The positive energy derived just by a simple smile rubs off on others, and that is why you see that trend.?
Kim McCall, interpersonal communication professor at the University of Florida, said smiling communicates positive energy, reactions and emotions.
?When we smile or see another person smile, it makes us think the other person likes us and we are much more likely to start a conversation,? she said. ?Smiling can be an asset when meeting someone new, during a job interview or even when having lunch with a friend.?
Among the studies? limitations is that the first set of participants were University of Virginia freshmen who had a Facebook profile in 2005, when the platform expanded to over 800 college networks and had more than 5.5 million users.
It?s plausible that this group of participants used Facebook in a much different way than those who use it now, according to the report.
Facebook now boasts more than 750 million users, according to the website, and has added content-sharing features throughout its years.
Marc Briz, a sophomore history major at Brown University, said he prefers artistic profile pictures rather than those with a ?straight-forward smile.?
?I feel like the study might be simplifying how students approach Facebook in the first place,? Briz said.
?Even kids who are sad are not going to put pictures of themselves with a frown,? he said. ?They?re going to put a picture that reflects well of them.?
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- The Odyssey: Facebook adds a new dimension to employment
- 5 ways to take your life back from Facebook
- Let?s be ?Facebook Official?
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of USA TODAY.
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