Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.4, No.9 Publication Date: May. 25, 2017 DoI:10.14738/assrj.49.3156. Liner, L., & Fiebert, M. S. (2017). Facebook Profile Pictures: Gender Differences in Frequency and Type of Profile Pictures Posted within One-Year Period Among Older Adults. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 4(9) 101- Copyright © Society for Science and Education, United Kingdom 101 Facebook Profile Pictures: Gender Differences in Frequency and Type of Profile Pictures Posted within One-Year Period Among Older Adults Laura Liner Department of Psychology, California State University Martin S. Fiebert Department of Psychology, California State University ABSTRACT This study examines gender differences in frequency and type of profile pictures posted on Facebook within a twelve-month period among adults aged fifty and over. This study continues research on a sample of subjects whose mean age was 22.57, conducted by the Facebook Research Group (FBRG) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) (Fiebert, Castaneda, Pham, McGivern, Caudillo, & Warren, 2017). The method of data collection and analysis closely replicates that of the previous study. Profile pictures were categorized into four groups: 1) self in close-up; 2) self in long shot; 3) self with group; 4) other. In congruence with the previous study the current work found that women changed their profile pictures significantly more frequently than men. In contrast to results of the previous study, the current one found that the most commonly profile picture for both genders is self with group while the least common profile picture for both genders is self in long shot. Keywords: Profile Pictures, Facebook Research, Gender, Late Adulthood INTRODUCTION Facebook continues to be the most popular social media website with an average of 1.23 billion people across the globe (Facebook, 2016) actively using it daily. Seventy-two per cent of adults aged 50 to 64 and 62% of adults 65 and over use Facebook, (Greenwood, Perrin, & Duggan, 2016). People use Facebook for many reasons: to connect with family, friends, and others; for entertainment, business, and news. Facebook photos are one way for individuals to communicate with other users. Photos have been shown to be a component of impression management and self-presentation (Siibak, 2009). A study of photo-related behavior on FB found that users post photos differently based on their personality (Eftekhar, Fullwood, & Morris, 2014). Extroverted users tend generally to post more photos, including profile pictures. Their Facebook profiles are also more likely than introverted users to represent their offline self (Seidman, 2013). Choosing a profile picture that differs from a person’s actual physical appearance implies that there is a discrepancy between their real self and their virtual self (Suh, 2013). Neuroticism was also correlated with posting significantly more photos in general and specifically more photos of themselves (Eftekhaur et al., 2014). This behavior may be motivated by a desire to belong, to combat loneliness, or to gain popularity. Individuals who rate high on openness have a tendency to replace their profile pictures frequently, possibly because they are more likely to engage in a variety of activities that they document through Facebook photos (Gosling, Augustine, Vazire, Holtzman, & Gaddis, 2011).