parasocial relationships

• Parasocial relationships are missing a key element normally present in relationships, they are one sided. 

  The target individual is unaware of the existence of the person who created the relationships. These relationships may be appealing because they make few demands and the individual does not run the risk of criticism or rejection as might be the case in a real relationship. They occur in all age groups but peak between 11 - 17 years old then decline slowly afterwards.
• Parasocial relationships are more likely if: 

  • The individual is female 
  • The individual is lonely or shy 
  • The lower a person's level of education 
  • Males are usually interested in sports stars whilst females are more interested in the entertainment world
• It's thought that parasocial relationships might help young people with identity formation
• Levels of parasocial relationship relationships - Giles and Maltby

  This is based on the celebrity attitude scale 

  Entertainment - social: 

  Individuals are attracted to celebrities because they are interesting / good looking e.g. may gossip with friends 

  Intense - personal: 

  Intense thoughts and feelings are felt about the celebrity, individuals like to share these thoughts with others who feel the same way, feel a connection with them 

  Borderline - pathological: uncontrollable and extreme behaviours, and obsessive fantasies.
• McCutcheon [2003] 

  Out of 600 participants: 

  • 20% fell into the first category of entertainment-social 
  • 10% fell into the second intense personal 
  • 1% the third borderline pathological 
  • The remainder were in no category
• Absorption - addiction model 

  McCutcheon et al proposed this model to explain how parasocial relationships become abnormal 

  Absorption: they have deficits in their own sense of personal identity and dissatisfaction in their lives. Absorption is an attempt to establish personal identity and it has addictive qualities so individuals go to further and further lengths to maintain a sense of fulfilment via the parasocial relationship 

  Addiction: in extreme cases, their involvement becomes really addictive and their behaviour becomes extreme. 
• what does the absorption addiction model predict?

  This model predicts that their will be an association between poorer mental health and the strength of parasocial relationships
• what did McCutcheon devise to test the absorption addiction model?

  the celebrity attitude scale 
• Attachment styles and parasocial relationships

  Theory proposes insecure - resistant attachment leads to an increased interest in celebrities. Parasocial relationships make no demands, and do not involve criticism or the risk of rejection
• Maltby - 

  Looked at females aged 14 - 16 

  They had a parasocial relationship with a female whose body shape they admired 

  They found these females had a poor body image and speculated this could be a precursor to the development of anorexia.