Study shows highlighting others' achievements on LinkedIn sparks the most engagement

Phys · May 22, 2026 · 736 words · By Brian Lopez

Social Media Engagement Professional Networking Academic Research

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What to know about Social Media Engagement

The article discusses research conducted by Daniel Usera from the University of Texas at Arlington regarding LinkedIn engagement. The findings suggest that interpersonal posts celebrating others generate more engagement than self-promotional content.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 5

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Study shows highlighting others' achievements on LinkedIn sparks the most engagement Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor If you're trying to stand out on LinkedIn, it might seem like posting about your own achievements is a smart approach.

Why it matters

But new research from The University of Texas at Arlington suggests a different strategy: highlight others.

Common ground

After analyzing nearly 1,000 posts, Daniel Usera, a faculty member in the Department of Marketing, found that while business-focused content is the most common, interpersonal posts—those that celebrate colleagues and connections—generate the most engagement.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Social Media Engagement story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that there's a whole Reddit forum dedicated to pointing those out [cringey LinkedIn posts]?
How does this story connect Social Media Engagement with Professional Networking over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-highlighting-linkedin-engagement.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 3

info Single Source 1

check_circle Corroborated 1

verified

Claim 1: “there's a whole Reddit forum dedicated to pointing those out [cringey LinkedIn posts]”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While the evidence confirms that Reddit is a forum platform with many communities, there is no specific evidence provided that confirms the existence of a forum dedicated to 'cringey' LinkedIn posts.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Reddit ( RED-it, formerly stylized reddit) is an American proprietary social news aggregation and forum social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddit

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On the social news site Reddit, some communities (known as subreddits or subs) are centred around explicit, violent, propagandist, or hateful material. Many such subreddits have been the topic of cont…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversial_Reddit_communiti…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — r/place was a recurring collaborative project and social experiment hosted on the content aggregator site Reddit. Originally launched on April Fools' Day 2017, it has since been repeated again on Apri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/place

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “After analyzing nearly 1,000 posts, Daniel Usera, a faculty member in the Department of Marketing, found that while business-focused content is the most common, interpersonal posts—those that celebrate colleagues and connections—generate the most engagement.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results for this claim are generic study tools (Study.com, Quizlet) and do not mention Daniel Usera, his research, or the findings regarding interpersonal posts on LinkedIn.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Take online courses on Study.com that are fun and engaging. Pass exams to earn real college credit. Research schools and degrees to further your education.
https://study.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Master any subject with Studley AI. Trusted by more than 2,000,000 top students. Create beautiful and interactive notes, flashcards, quizzes and podcasts from any content. Study smarter, not harder.
https://www.studley.ai/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — How do you want to study? Master whatever you’re learning with Quizlet’s interactive flashcards, practice tests, and study activities.
https://quizlet.com/

verified

Claim 3: “new research from The University of Texas at Arlington suggests a different strategy: highlight others”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence confirms that the University of Texas at Arlington is a research university, but there is no mention of a specific study regarding LinkedIn strategies or highlighting others.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The history of the University of Texas at Arlington began with the foundation of Arlington College in 1895, which was the first of a series of private schools to exist on the site of the present unive…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_University_of_T…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas, United States. It is the second oldest university in the University of Texas System and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Texas_at_Arlingt…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) College of Engineering was established in 1959 when Arlington State College was officially given the status of a senior college. The college offers 12 baccal…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Texas_at_Arlingt…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “LinkedIn is the world's largest online professional network.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources, including LinkedIn's own help page and a B2B marketing analysis, explicitly state that LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Build and engage with your professional network. Access knowledge, insights and opportunities.From live videos, to stories, to newsletters and more, LinkedIn is full of ways to stay up to date on the …
https://www.linkedin.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the internet.LinkedIn is an online platform that connects the world’s professionals.
https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a548441/what-i…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In the last decade, LinkedIn has rapidly become the largest professional network in the world. It is not accidental that LinkedIn currently has more than 740 million members, and it’s used in more tha…
https://inflowing.net/blog/why-linkedin-is-perfect-for-b2b-m…

verified

Claim 5: “This study is his latest research on the platform, following one that examined what actually drives engagement on LinkedIn and what makes some posts "flop."”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided consists of biblical references to Daniel and unrelated Wikipedia entries about Spanish history and music. There is no evidence of a researcher named Daniel Usera conducting studies on LinkedIn.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 1936 Carlist coup d'état was a plan to topple the Spanish republican government and install a Traditionalist monarchy. It was conceived by top executive of the Carlist organisation, Comunión Tradicion…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Carlist_coup_attempt

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "En mi Viejo San Juan" (In my Old San Juan) is a composition by Puerto Rican composer and singer Noel Estrada. Interpreted by numerous singers and translated into various languages, the song is "widel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_mi_Viejo_San_Juan

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Usera Tunnel (Spanish: Túnel de Usera, also Spanish: Túnel de la muerte) was a scam operated by Republican security units during the Spanish Civil War. It took place in Madrid between mid-October and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usera_Tunnel_scam

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.