Big Data Psychology

Image source: Facebook

Michal Kosinski mk583@cam.ac.uk

Cambridge University Psychometrics Centre

• 30 years of experience in psychological assessment

• Strategic Network of Cambridge University = expertise in wide variety of disciplines

DIGITAL FOOTPRINT Also:

• Email / texts

• Verbal conversations

• Physical movement data

• Credit card records

• …

Get some data related to an

individual

(purchase history, Facebook profile, tweets,

email, web browsing history)

Translate it to Facebook Graph ID

(Oreo = 114998944652)

Send it to ApplyMagicSauce

API

Get a detailed psycho-

demographic profile

How accurate is digital profiling?

Validation study: 1. 60.000 US Facebook users 2. Detailed psycho-demographic profiles 3. Tested the accuracy of predictive models

Kosinski, M., Stillwell, D.J., Graepel, T. (2013) Private traits and attributes are predictable from digital records of human behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Prediction Accuracy: Numeric Variables

Only Facebook Likes?

(Other digital footprints are even more informative)

Applications in marketing

Detailed psychological profiles of each and every consumer

(both in online and offline environment)

Psychological profiles of groups

(customers/fans/audience/readers/etc)

Openness Conservative & traditional

Spontaneous & impulsive

Contemplative & happy with own company

Competitive & Working alone

Competitive & Working alone

Liberal & artistic

Well organized & hard working

Engaged with outside world

Team working & trusting

Laid back & relaxed

Conscientiousness

Extraversion

Agreeableness

Neuroticism

Openness

Conscientiousness

Extraversion

Agreeableness

Neuroticism

Low High Intelligence

Conservative & traditional

Spontaneous & impulsive

Contemplative & happy with own company

Competitive & Working alone

Competitive & Working alone

Liberal & artistic

Well organized & hard working

Engaged with outside world

Team working & trusting

Laid back & relaxed

Target anonymous users using psychological profiles

Extraverted & open to experience

Well organized & competitive

Cooperative & happy

High IQ

Build your own predictive models

Adjust your offer and language on the individual & group level

Agency and Communion on Facebook: An Open Vocabulary Analysis of Gender (submitted) Gregory Park, H. Andrew Schwartz, Margaret L. Kern, Johannes C. Eichstaedt, Adam M. Croom, Lyle H. Ungar, Martin E. P. Seligman, Michal Kosinski, David Stillwell

Language used

Language used

Language used

Language used

Language used

RISKS • Digital withdrawal

• Fake footprints

• Legal issues

• Creepy targeting

Thank You!

mk583@cam.ac.uk Michal Kosinski

Cambridge University