Parasocial relationships

• What is a parasocial relationship?

  • A one-sided relationship that occurs between a person and a media personality who is outside the person's real social network, usually without the celebrity's knowledge
  • Similarities between social and parasocial relationships:
  • based on attraction
  • Voluntary
  • Provide a sense of companionship
  • Although the person does not physically meet the celebrity they feel they ,know' them
  • The celebrity may reveal quite personal feelings and details about themselves on screen, leading to a sense of intimacy
• Who has parasocial relationships?

  Mostly young people (11-17)

  • Negative correlation between involvement in parasocial relationships and educational attainment
  • Gender difference in field of interest: boys - sport, girls - entertainment
  • Media personalities can become role models for young people
  • This helps develop their sense of identity, usually in a positive way
  • It is debatable whether involvement in such relationships is a sign of loneliness or obsessional tendencies
• What are the three theories explaining parasocial relationships?

  1. Levels of para-social relationships
  2. The absorption addiction model
  3. Bowlby's attachment theory
• What is the levels of para-social relationships?

  • The level of parasocial relationships can be measured using a psychometric detest developed by McCutcheon et al (2002) - the ,Celebrity Attitude Scale'. There are 3 sub scales:
  • Entertainment social - celebrities are discussed with friends for entertainment
  • Intense personal - characterised by obsessive thoughts and emotions. Feelings that the relationship is in some way real
  • Borderline pathological - extreme uncontrollable behaviours for celebrity. Can prevent the person from living a normal life
• What is the absorption addiction model?

  • McCutheon: Para-social relationships are an attempt to escape the reality of their own lives and relationships. They hope to ,absorb' some of what they lack as the person feels inadequate
  • Absorption - intense involvement in finding info about the personal life and career of celebrity, this is an attempt to feel closer to them
  • Addiction - behaviours escalate similar to a drug addiction, becoming more extreme, may result in an attempt to contact celebrity or stalk them
• What is Bowlby's attachment theory in parasocial relationships?

  • Poor childhood relationships/attachment styles are thought to not provide an effective internal working model, negatively impacting on adult relationships
  • Insecure resistant - type C children are thought to be at the most risk of poor attachment
• What was Rubin et al (1985) study into parasocial relationships?

  • Self report study refuted belief that parasocial relationships are a remedy for loneliness or substitute for relationships in the real world
  • 329 respondents completed questionnaire that measured their: loneliness, levels of real-world social interaction, television reliance, strength of parasocial relationship
  • Rubin found that whilst loneliness did correlate with having less social interaction and relying more on TV watching, it did not correlate with strength of the respondents parasocial relationships
• What was Gabriel (2008) study into parasocial relationships?

  • Refuted traditional belief that parasocial relationships are a remedy for loneliness or substitute to relationships in the real world
  • 100 university students
  • Firstly, they filled in a psychometric test measuring self esteem
  • Then wrote an essay about their favourite celebrity
  • Lastly filled in the test of self esteem again
  • Gabriel found that those who scored low on self esteem initially scored much higher after writing the essay
  • Incorporated positive attributes of their celebrity into their own self image
• Limitations of research into studies of parasocial relationships

  • Most studies are self-report data which are subject to social desirability bias
  • Most research is correlational, so casual conclusions cannot be drawn with any confidence
• How can parasocial relationships be used as compensatory roles?

  • Parasocial relationships server a compensatory functions come from research into absorption addiction model
  • Shows that often teenagers who become keenly interested in celebrities, at a time where they are looking for direction in life and forming their self-identity
  • Research also shows that this interest can develop into addiction at a time of crisis, such as loss of a loved one. This further supports the idea that a parasocial relationship can fill a gap in life
• What was Maltby et Al's study into personality being a cause for parasocial relationships?

  • Using Eyesenck's personality tests they found that those at the:
  • Entertainment social level were extrovert and mentally healthy
  • Intense-emotional level or above were neurotic, unstable and prone to poor mental and physical health
• What are strengths of research into causes of parasocial relationships?

  This type of research is useful as it can help to develop therapies for pathological obsession and stalking behaviour (real world applications)
• What is a limitation of research into parasocial relationships?

  As research in this area looks at people who already demonstrate para-social relationships it is difficult to test objectively, relying on correlation. This means it is hard to demonstrate cause and effect