The Five-Factor Model of personality and Degree and Transitivity of Facebook social networks

•We examined relations between Five-Factor Model traits and social network qualities.•Participants (N = 5031) employed a Facebook application that recorded data.•High Extraversion predicted high Degree (number of friends).•High Openness to Experience predicted low Transitivity.•Openness to Experience and, among men, Agreeableness predicted more cross-sex friends.

The present study examined the associations of the Five-Factor Model personality dimensions with Degree (number of friends) and Transitivity (the likelihood that two of a person’s friends are friends with each other) of a person’s network on the social networking site Facebook. A Facebook application administered a personality questionnaire and objectively recorded properties of the participants’ (N = 5031; 65% female, mean age 33 years) social networks. As expected, Extraversion predicted Degree, whereas Openness to Experience and, among men, Agreeableness predicted more cross-sex friendships. Also as expected, Extraversion and, among men, Openness to Experience predicted lower Transitivity, but the former association was rendered insignificant when Degree was controlled for.