Attachment theory

• > Bowlby suggested that early difficulties in attachment leads to poor internal working models which leads to emotional troubles later on in life

  > This can lead to poor psychological health in the future which is linked to forming parasocial relationships.
• Secure attachment in childhood

  • Can develop loving two-way relationships in real face-to-face relationships
  • Have little need for parasocial relationships
• Insecure avoidant attachment in childhood

  • Have difficulty trusting others
  • Indulge in behaviours designed not to create intimacy, therefore are less likely to foster close emotional ties in either face to face or parasocial relationships
  • Less likely to form parasocial relationships
• Insecure resistant attachment in childhood

  • Seek to have unfulfilled needs met in adult relationships
  • These individuals have a need for close emotional relationships and parasocial ones do not bring a fear of rejection, break-up and disappointment that real relationships do.
  • More likely to form parasocial relationships
• Attachment theory AO3

  :) Universal explanation

  > Dinkha et al compared a collectivist culture (Kuwait) and an individualistic culture (USA) in terms of forming parasocial relationships

  > It was found that in both cultures, individuals with insecure attachment types were the most likely to form parasocial relationships with TV personalities and characters

  > This supports the idea that an insecure attachment type may be a universal explanation for parasocial relationships as the attachment theory suggests.
• Attachment theory AO3

  :( Other evidence is not supportive

  > For example, psychologists (McCutcheon et al) measured attachment types and celebrity related attitudes in 299 American students

  > It was found that participants with insecure attachment types were no more likely to form parasocial relationships than those with secure attachments

  > Therefore, this limits the attachment theory as an explanation of parasocial relationships as it suggests the relationship between poor quality attachment and parasocial relationships may be more complex.