Be careful what you "like" on Facebook: Innocuous clicks on Minecraft, the Bible, and Harley Davidson could say more about your personality than you think.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Stanford University found that computers can more accurately assess someone's personality than family or lifelong friends.

More than 86,200 Facebook users voluntarily gave researchers access to their social network "likes"pages, articles, musicians, books, statuses, etc.and filled out a 100-question survey developed by Cambridge's Psychometrics Center.

The scientists then determined which "likes" correlated most strongly to each of the traits in the Five-Factor Model (FFM): openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability.

For instance, liking The Addams Family and Kurt Cobain showcase a level of neurosis, as opposed to the calm-and-relaxed state of folks who like skydiving, mountain biking, physics/engineering, and "getting money."

Minecraft, meanwhile, suggests a shy and reserved person, while the Bible implies a high level of satisfaction with life. And I hate to break it to you, but if you like Harley Davidson, you may have a low IQ.

Participants also had their personalities judged by friends and family on Facebook via a 10-question survey, the Washington Post reported.

When put to the test, computer predictions based on a generic digital footprint (i.e. Facebook "likes") more accurately determined personality traits than the volunteer's own circle.

"Using several criteria, we show that computers' judgments of people's personalities based on their digital footprints are more accurate and valid than judgments made by their close [friends] or acquaintances (friends, family, spouse, colleagues, etc.)," the study said. "Our findings highlight that people's personalities can be predicted automatically and without involving human social-cognitive skills."

Though clearly more clever than a human being, the computer is less accurate as it gets closer to the subject's inner circle.

According to the researchers, the computer only needs to analyze 10 "likes" from a subject in order to produce a more accurate personality readout than a co-worker. Friends and roommates, meanwhile, require 70 likes, but that number jumps to 150 for family members.

A spouse may be the only real contender: The study shows a husband or wife can just barely outsmart a computer, which requires 300 likes to compare.

"Although accurate personality judgments stem from social-cognitive skills, developments in machine learning show that computer models can also make valid judgments," the research team said. "Computers outpacing humans in personality judgment presents significant opportunities and challenges in the areas of psychological assessment, marketing, and privacy."

Take a look at your own psycho-demographic profile.

Further Reading