Facebook: Why do people REALLY put their partner in their profile pic?

The report 'Can You Tell That I’m in a Relationship' by scientists from Canada and the US found that when people are worried about their partner’s affections, they tend to make the relationship more publicly visible.

Putting up a new Facebook photo of the two of you cuddling on a beach is certainly one way to do that. As, of course, is going on the front cover of Hello! magazine.

You're also more likely to write about your boyfriend / girlfriend if you're scared the relationship's a bit shaky. Researchers measured daily changes in people’s feelings, then counted how much they posted about their relationship on Facebook. On days when people feel more insecure than usual, they post more about their relationship.

But there's one catch. People who aren't are very affectionate - what's known as avoidant personalities - tend to post much less about their relationships when they worry about their partner. So people who normally seem a bit cold can really clam up when they're anxious.

There have been hundreds of studies into just what Facebook says about us. The BPS journal has done a survey of the most interesting findings.

(mirror.co.uk)