Personalised desktops can reveal a lot more than just your 'fun side', claims a new study, which suggests that people's personalities, habits and ambitions could be laid bare by analysing their computer screens.

The study into desktop psychology was conducted by Windows Vista.

To reach the conclusion, Donna Dawson, a psychologist specialising in personality and behaviour, reviewed a selection of office workers' desktops and identified several clues that could indicate a person's personality, reports The Telegraph.

She also said personalities could be divided into categories: Generic, Specific place; Goal-orientated; Trophy; Escapist; Artistic and Sociable.

She said: "Our desktops are our personal space and as such provide a fairly accurate personality description of an individual."

"My belief is that everything says something about what we're like. You may not consciously be aware of it but once you know, then your desktop can be used to give off a positive message about who you are."

The expert said, for instance, having too many icons may suggest a person is disorganised and possibly insecure.

People with desktop pictures displaying their past successes, meanwhile, risk revealing their egocentric side to colleagues.

A list of desktop personality indicators from the report included: