Crystal Is Creepy, but Cool”

Mapping Folk Theories and Responses to Automated Personality Recognition Algorithms

Bibliographic Data

ID13018922
AuthorsT Liao (0000-0003-1889-3831, University of Cincinnati, corresponding author), Olivia Tyson (University of Cincinnati)
Year2021
Volume7
Issue2
Publication date2021-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Media + Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2056-3051 • E-ISSN: 2056-3051
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/20563051211010170
OpenAlexW3154112498
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited49

This article examines Crystal Knows, a company that generates automated personality profiles through an algorithm and sells access to their database. These algorithms are the result of a long line of research into computational and predictive algorithms that track social media practices and uses them to infer individual characteristics and make psychometric assessments. Although it is now computationally possible, these algorithms are not widely known or understood by the general public. Little is known about how people would respond to them, particularly when they do not even know their online activities are being assessed by the algorithm. This study examines how people construct “snap” folk theories about the ways personality algorithms operate as well as how they react when shown their outputs. Through qualitative interviews ( n = 37) with people after being presented with their own profile, this study identifies a series of folk theories that people came up with to explain the personality algorithm across four dimensions (data source, scope, collection process, and outputs). In addition, this study examined how those folk theories contributed to certain reactions, fears, and justifications people had about the algorithm. This study builds on our theoretical understanding of folk theory literature as well as certain limitations of algorithmic transparency/sovereignty when these types of inferential and predictive algorithms get coupled with people’s hopes and fears about employment, hiring, and promotion

Algorithm · Big Five personality traits · Machine learning · Personality · Promotion (chess · Sociology · Transparency (behavior · Computer Science · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI · Law · Personality Traits and Psychology · Privacy, Security, and Data Protection · Psychology · Social Psychology · Artificial Intelligence

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Open DOIOpen Access