I attended the Indiana User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) conference on November 15th, and it was an incredibly enriching experience. Presenting my research poster, interacting with UX professionals and researchers, and listening to engaging lectures made the day both exciting and insightful.

I presented my research titled Beyond Likes: How Personality Traits Predict Saving Behavior on Instagram. This study, which I began earlier this semester, stemmed from my interest in self-presentation behaviors—specifically how personality traits influence interactions within digital media. The particular idea explored in the study was sparked by a class conversation with a peer who tried to show me a saved post on Instagram but struggled to find it in the heap of his saved collection. This made me wonder: could there be a link between personality types and how individuals save posts on Instagram?

Over the semester, I started working on this research and although I am supposed to work on the thesis over the cause of two semesters, when I was informed about the conference, I had to dedicate more time to it to make sure I had results to present at the conference. At the conference, my poster prompted engaging conversations. Attendees were curious about the broader implications of the study, the research influences, and potential areas to explore further. Many raised insightful questions about patterns, methodologies, the rationale behind certain choices in the study design with many pulling up their collections and counting them right at the poster stand to confirm the results. Some attendees openly shared their saving habits and how they perceive them collections. Interestingly, much of the feedback touched on areas I have data on but haven’t yet analyzed. The highlight of the experience was when a member of the association approached me to express interest in seeing the full findings of my research once the final analysis is complete and invited me to return to present it. Some attendees also connected with me to see updates on the study as it progresses.

Overall, the experience was invaluable, and I’m deeply grateful for the support and encouragement I’ve received along the way. A huge thanks to Dr. Fisher for guiding my research efforts and helping me stay focused under a tight timeline. I’m also immensely thankful to the Center for Emerging Media Design and Development for not only informing me about this opportunity (special thanks to Matt Lowe!) but also taking care of the conference tickets. Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to Shiri and the UXPA team for giving me this incredible platform to share my work.