Evaluation

• Strength: cross-cultural support

  Schmid and Klimmt found similar levels of parasocial attachment to Harry Potter in an individualist culture (Germany) and a collectivist culture (Mexico). So it would seem that this tendency is not culturally specific. This suggests that the need to form parasocial relationships may be universal and innate, and may be an adaptive behaviour
• Limitation: absorption-addiction model lacks explanatory power

  The model describes the characteristics of people at different levels of intensity but does not explain why the different forms develop. This does not help us to prevent the more dangerous and disturbing forms of parasocial relationships. So the model is limited in its explanatory power and its application for supporting people whose celebrity worship has become problematic
• Limitation of link to attachment theory: lack of support

  McCutcheon et al. found that participants with insecure attachments were no more likely to form parasocial relationships with celebrities than participants with secure attachment styles. This is the key assumption of this explanation and failure to find support for it raises crucial questions about the explanation's validity. This is a limitation of using attachment theory to explain parasocial relationships because it shows that it has little predictive strength
• Limitation: methodological issues

  Most of the research studies use self-report techniques to collect data. These can be affected by forms of bias, for example social desirability bias. Most of the studies also use correlational analysis. Despite strong correlations between celebrity worship and body image, causal links cannot be made. This means that there is no evidence to show that parasocial relationships are caused by specific experiences