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What’s your TikTok personality profile? New citizen science project helps you find out
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Date 17 April 2025
Ever wondered why certain videos show up in your TikTok Feed? Does TikTok know exactly what you like, or does it nudge you to like things? Whether you’re scrolling, liking, or making content, the TikTok algorithm is learning from you.
Using a new tool created by researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADM+S) at QUT and The University of Sydney, TikTok users can now see themselves through the eyes of the algorithm.
Launched ahead of the upcoming federal election, the For You Research Project explores how TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm is influencing culture, creativity, and public discourse in Australia.
“We’re using a new and exciting approach which is based on citizen science,” says lead researcher Patrik Wikström.
“TikTok is a highly personalised platform,” says Professor Wikström, and it’s “shaping what Australians see online”.
Participants are invited to join the project to learn what is shaping their TikTok Feed and get a new perspective on the role of TikTok in their lives.
This research will help researchers understand TikTok’s recommendation system and how it shapes culture, creativity, and public debates in Australia.
The project explores three key questions:
- What content does TikTok recommend to Australian users, and how does this shape our culture?
- How do different people experience and interpret the algorithm?
- How do TikTok creators adapt their strategies to stay visible and relevant?
Whether you’re a casual scroller, an avid content creator, or just curious about what your feed says about you, the For You Research Project is an opportunity to see TikTok from a whole new perspective.
- Join the project and explore your TikTok personality profile
- Read more about the research project
- Read about the project as featured on ABC News How to find out your TikTok personality – and become a ‘citizen scientist’
