Abstract
Trends in self-presentation in social media (i.e., Twitter and Instagram) constantly fluctuate as fads come and go, especially when one’s image is being commodified. Specifically, numerous instances of celebrities and social media influencers altering their images to fit popular online trends and “aesthetics” contribute to increased blackfishing, Asianfishing, and Hispanicfishing. Some celebrities and influencers accused of “-fishing” in the presentation of ethnicity include the Kardashians, Ariana Grande, Addison Rae, Iggy Azalea, Selena Gomez, and Gigi Hadid. The present study (N = 685) investigated gender, personality, fame appeal, self-esteem, and need to belong in relation to attitudes towards the “-fishing” culture. Gender was a significant predictor of acceptance of this phenomenon and participation in it, with males less accepting compared to females. Higher scores in any of the Dark Triad personality types, including Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, were significant predictors in participation in “-fishing,” but not in attitudes toward it. Fame appeal, self-esteem, and the need to belong were not predictors of either attitude toward or participation in “-fishing.”
Thesis Completion
2022
Semester
Fall
Thesis Chair/Advisor
Hubertz, Martha
Degree
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Psychology
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Release Date
12-15-2022
Recommended Citation
Raymond, Britney R., "A New Form of Catfishing: An Analysis of the Inauthentic Racial and Ethnic Self-Presentation on Social Media" (2022). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 1301.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/1301