Parasocial Relationships

• Parasocial Relationships 


  = a one-sided, unreciprocated relationship usually with a celebrity where a fan spends lots of energy, commitment and time. Usually the celebrity is unaware of the relationship.
• Levels of Parasocial Relationships

  McCutcheon et al developed the celebrity attitude scale, which was used in a survey by Maltby et al to identify 3 levels:

  1. Entertainment-Social

  • Least intense level
  • Celebrities are a source of gossip and entertainment

  2. Intense-personal

  • Intermediate level
  • Greater involvement with celebrity - obsessive thoughts and intense feelings

  3. Borderline pathological

  • Strongest level
  • Uncontrollable fantasies and extreme behaviours
  • Spending lots of money, willingness to perform illegal acts
• The Absorption-Addiction Model


  McCutcheon - people form parasocial relationships because of deficiencies in their own lives as it allows 'escape from reality' or a way of finding fulfilment.

  Absorption - seeking fulfilment in celebrity worship motivates the individual to focus their attention as far as possible on the celebrity

  Addiction - needs to sustain commitment to relationship by feeling stronger and closer involvement with the celebrity - may lead to more extreme behaviours.
• Attachment Theory Explanation


  Tendency to form parasocial relationships because of attachment difficulties in early childhood. Insecure-resistant types are the most likely to form parasocial relationships as there is no threat or rejection. Insecure-avoidant are least likely to form parasocial relationships as they prefer to avoid the pain and rejection of relationships.
• Eval : Strength


  Maltby linked types of personality to levels of parasocial relationships and found extroverts were linked with the lower levels, but psychotic personalities linked to the stronger levels. He then measured celebrity worship and found teenage girls that had poor body image to be at the stronger levels and admire celebrities appearance. Supports the model as it shows the link between level of worship and psychological functioning.
• Eval : Weakness


  McCutcheon et al examined the correlation between attachment type and worship level in 229 Americans, and found insecure attachments were no more likely to form parasocial relationships than others. This contradicts the attachment theory explanation and says there is no link.
• Eval : Weakness


  There are methodological issues with research into PSR, as they heavily rely on self-report techniques and may be subject to social desirability bias. Also the research is correlational meaning cause and effect cannot be established. Both of these lower the validity of research.