Parasocial relationship

• Parasocial relationship-

  • One sided
  • One person with extended emotional energy, interests and time towards the other
  • Other party unknowing of the persons existence
• Parasocial relationship-

  Celebrity attitude scale of measurement

  • proposed by McCutcheon
  • investigated by Maltby = generated 3 levels to Parasocial relationships based on the scale
  • entertainment-social = least intense - viewed as gossip/entertainment - public
  • intense-personal = intermediate level - more involvement + possible compulsive thoughts - obsession starts - private
  • borderline pathological = strongest level - uncontrolled fantasies + extreme behaviour - empathy or over-identification (stalking)
• Parasocial relationship-

  Absorption-addiction model

  • Parasocial relationship generated from personal inadequates — low self-esteem/confidence + weak identity
  • ‘escaping from reality’
  • absorption = fully pre-occupied with the celebs life - allows a new identity to be created
  • addiction = more involvement develops overtime - becomes all consuming
• Parasocial relationship-

  Attatchment theory explanation-

  • Bowlbys IWM
  • Ainsowrths attatchment types
  • fans want PROXIMITY — SM following + concerts
  • celebs wont reject fans creating a SECURE BASE - swifties
  • individuals have SEPARATION ANXIETY - freaking out over a stop in music released
  • IR = unfulfilled needs from PCG = more likely to develop a Parasocial relationship
  • S = least likely due to having all needs met
  • IA = avoids all relationships due to not wanting pain/rejection
• Parasocial relationship-

  CPS- Dinkha = compared individualist and collectivist cultures finding that both insecurely attached were more likely to form Parasocial relationships

  CPW- McCutcheon = 299 Americans - attatchemnt security doesn’t impact Parasocial relationship developments
• Parasocial relationships

  S- McCutcheon = Celebrity Attitude Scale measures intimacy issues - borderline pathological + intense-personal had anxiety

  S- Maltby = 14-16 aged boys + girls - girls admire other females with desirable bodies, which can cause eating disorders forming intense-personal relationships

  W- Absorption addiction model is only descriptive with no relation to causation or correlation