{"id":19583,"date":"2020-02-08T22:08:53","date_gmt":"2020-02-08T22:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=19583"},"modified":"2020-02-10T23:12:10","modified_gmt":"2020-02-10T23:12:10","slug":"why-people-post-couple-photos-as-their-social-media-profile-pictures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/why-people-post-couple-photos-as-their-social-media-profile-pictures\/","title":{"rendered":"Why people post &#8216;couple photos&#8217; as their social media profile pictures"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/amanda-l-forest-941415\">Amanda L. Forest<\/a>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-pittsburgh-854\">University of Pittsburgh<\/a><\/em> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/kori-krueger-950797\">Kori Krueger<\/a>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-pittsburgh-854\">University of Pittsburgh<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>As you scroll through your Facebook news feed, you see it: Your friend has posted a new profile picture. But instead of a picture of just your friend, it\u2019s a couple photo \u2013 a picture of your friend and their romantic partner.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy would someone choose that as their profile picture?\u201d you wonder.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=IhivPfwAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao\">We are social<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=4LI2RO0AAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao\">psychology researchers<\/a> interested in understanding people\u2019s behavior in close relationships and on social media. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167219893998\">Our research<\/a> and that of <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167214549944\">other scholars<\/a> provides insight into why people use these types of \u201cI\u2019m part of a couple!\u201d displays on social media. Choosing profile photos that include their romantic partner, posting their relationship status and mentioning their partner in their updates can all be signs of how people feel in their relationship \u2013 and may send an important message to potential rivals.<\/p>\n<h2>Who does this?<\/h2>\n<p>What we social psychologists call <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167219893998\">\u201cdyadic displays\u201d are relatively common<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent study that we conducted, 29% of romantically involved Facebook users had a \u201ccouple\u201d photo as their current profile picture. Seventy percent had a dyadic relationship status posted \u2013 such as \u201cIn a relationship\u201d or \u201cMarried.\u201d And participants mentioned their romantic partner in 15% of their recent Facebook updates.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"mr84v\" class=\"tc-infographic-datawrapper\" style=\"border: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/mr84v\/2\/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"400px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Certain people are more likely to use these dyadic displays than others. People who are <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/cyber.2011.0291\">very satisfied with<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/cyber.2015.0060\">committed to<\/a> their romantic relationship are more likely to <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1948550612460059\">post couple profile photos<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167219893998\">represent their relationships on social media<\/a> in other ways. The <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2015.00214\">more in love a coupled-up person is, and the more jealousy they report<\/a>, the more likely they are to post their relationship status publicly on Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>People who have an <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0022-3514.78.2.350\">anxious attachment style<\/a> \u2013 who worry about their partner rejecting or abandoning them \u2013 are also more likely to <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167214549944\">use a dyadic profile photo and post a dyadic relationship status on Facebook<\/a>. In contrast, people who have an <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0022-3514.78.2.350\">avoidant attachment style<\/a> \u2013 who are uncomfortable depending on others and who prioritize maintaining their independence \u2013 are unlikely to showcase their couplehood in these ways.<\/p>\n<p>Whether someone underscores their romantic status online can also change according to how a person is feeling at a given time. People are more likely to post relationship-relevant information on Facebook on days when they <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167214549944\">feel more insecure<\/a> about their partner\u2019s feelings for them than they typically do and on days when they <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1948550612460059\">feel more satisfied<\/a> with their relationship.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314115\/original\/file-20200207-43108-sdzvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314115\/original\/file-20200207-43108-sdzvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314115\/original\/file-20200207-43108-sdzvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314115\/original\/file-20200207-43108-sdzvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314115\/original\/file-20200207-43108-sdzvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314115\/original\/file-20200207-43108-sdzvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314115\/original\/file-20200207-43108-sdzvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314115\/original\/file-20200207-43108-sdzvga.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Like two peas in a pod.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/couple-lying-on-floor-making-selfie-228305197\">Dean Drobot\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Why display couplehood this way?<\/h2>\n<p>One possible reason, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1948550612460059\">proposed by other scholars<\/a>, is that these displays accurately represent how many romantically involved people see themselves.<\/p>\n<p>People in close relationships often <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0022-3514.63.4.596\">include their partner in their self-concept<\/a> \u2013 they see their partner as part of themselves. People may display their couplehood on social media, then, because doing so accurately represents how they see themselves: as intertwined with their partner.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167219893998\">Our recent survey<\/a> of 236 romantically involved adult Facebook users supported this idea. We found that people \u2013 especially those who are very satisfied with their relationships \u2013 use dyadic displays partly because they see their partner as part of who they are.<\/p>\n<p>We also found another, more strategic reason that people perform these displays: They\u2019re motivated to protect their relationships from threats that exist on social media. Using Facebook, Twitter and all the rest exposes people to a variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/cpb.2008.0263\">things that could potentially harm<\/a> their relationship, including ex-partners, alternative partners they could start a relationship with and romantic rivals who could attempt to steal their current sweethearts.<\/p>\n<p>Outside of social media, research has shown that committed people engage in a host of behaviors to defend their relationships against threats posed by <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.copsyc.2015.01.011\">alternative partners<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/0162-3095(88)90010-6\">romantic rivals<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/a0023647\">Mentioning their partner or relationship<\/a> is one way people may try to ward off these potential troublemakers.<\/p>\n<p>We found that people who were more motivated to protect their relationships from these kinds of threats were more likely to use dyadic displays. Wanting to keep the good thing they had going was one reason why highly satisfied and committed people were particularly likely to feature their partner on their social media profiles.<\/p>\n<p>Other researchers have found that some people feature their partner and relationship in their social media profiles because having other people know that they are in a relationship <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167214549944\">gives them a self-esteem boost<\/a>. This motive to feel good about themselves is one reason why anxiously attached people want their Facebook friends to be able to tell that they are in a relationship \u2013 and why avoidantly attached people don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314118\/original\/file-20200207-43074-16qtddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314118\/original\/file-20200207-43074-16qtddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314118\/original\/file-20200207-43074-16qtddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314118\/original\/file-20200207-43074-16qtddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314118\/original\/file-20200207-43074-16qtddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314118\/original\/file-20200207-43074-16qtddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314118\/original\/file-20200207-43074-16qtddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/314118\/original\/file-20200207-43074-16qtddv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">These coupled-up messages are interpreted in several ways by others.<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/two-women-sharing-with-smart-phones-royalty-free-image\/1089341070\">Tim Robberts\/DigitalVision via Getty Images<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>How do others interpret these displays?<\/h2>\n<p>Interestingly, viewers tend to form <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1745691612442904\">fairly accurate impressions<\/a> of others based on their social media profiles and posts.<\/p>\n<p>In experiments, researchers have manipulated social media profiles to investigate the consequences of advertising your coupledom in these ways.<\/p>\n<p>Posting couple photos and using other dyadic displays leads other people to perceive the profile owner as <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/pere.12059\">more likable and as more likely to be in a satisfying and committed relationship<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These dyadic displays not only <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0265407512468370\">communicate commitment<\/a>, but also suggest that the profile owner is <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167219893998\">unlikely to be receptive to romantic advances<\/a> from other people. This may discourage others from trying to get closer to the profile owner, perhaps protecting the relationship.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve never done it, it may seem surprising that people would choose a \u201ccouple photo\u201d as their profile picture. But doing so has the potential to produce positive outcomes for that person and their relationship.<\/p>\n<p>[ <em>You\u2019re too busy to read everything. We get it. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve got a weekly newsletter.<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us\/newsletters\/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&amp;utm_medium=inline-link&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter-text&amp;utm_content=weeklybusy\">Sign up for good Sunday reading.<\/a> ]<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/130661\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/amanda-l-forest-941415\">Amanda L. Forest<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Psychology, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-pittsburgh-854\">University of Pittsburgh<\/a><\/em> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/kori-krueger-950797\">Kori Krueger<\/a>, Ph.D. Student in Psychology, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-pittsburgh-854\">University of Pittsburgh<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This article is republished from <a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-people-post-couple-photos-as-their-social-media-profile-pictures-130661\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amanda L. Forest, University of Pittsburgh and Kori Krueger, University of Pittsburgh As you scroll through your Facebook news feed, you see it: Your friend has posted a new profile picture. But instead of a picture of just your friend, it\u2019s a couple photo \u2013 a picture of your friend and their romantic partner. \u201cWhy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":19584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[3720,483,7646,459,7645,7498,228,3009,5030,702,461],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19583"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19583"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19593,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19583\/revisions\/19593"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}