Trait, Not State: The Lasting Nature of Reading Identity in Social Highlighting

Previous research on social web highlighting focused on the individuality expressed through the choice of documents highlighted by users, but it primarily examined these choices at a single point in time. This study shifts the focus to the temporal aspect, investigating whether a reader's highlighting behavior represents a consistent trait or a fleeting state. By analyzing the first six months of highlighting activity from users, we assess how their initial selections influence future choices over extended periods, up to 24 months. The analysis includes comparisons with negative examples from the same timeframe to ensure that any observed changes are genuinely reflective of personal evolution rather than external trends. Our findings reveal four key insights. Notably, the fine-layer advantage among the same users remains statistically stable over time, with no significant decline detected. Additionally, the influence of personal profiles on future reading selections is substantial, with early highlighting choices predicting future preferences at a rate significantly higher than non-personalized benchmarks. This research operationalizes 'trait' as a consistent signature that persists through ongoing engagement, particularly among dedicated users of a single platform.