Celebrity: Para-Social Relationships

Question 1

How does Giles (2000( distinguish between famous and celebrity?

Answer 1

Famous: deserving recognition due to talent but some celebrities just well known, not due to any talent

Question 2

What does repeated encounters with celebrities through media do?

Answer 2

sense of familiarity, makes us feel like we have real relationships

Question 3

What does a parasocial relationship mean?

Answer 3

one sided, one person knows a lot about the other and feels affection but the recipient may be unaware of the other person’s existence

Question 4

What 3 types of media figure can we form parasocial relationships with?

Answer 4

Giles 2002: real people (TV presenters), fictional human characters (played by actors), fictional non human characters (cartoon characters)

Question 5

What is one reason for parasocial relationships forming?

Answer 5

transportation: getting immersed in a story, brings strong emotions

Question 6

What does the ending of real relationships lead to?

Answer 6

can lead to depression, common reason for seeking councelling

Question 7

What research has shown serious reactions to the death of celebrities?

Answer 7

Meyrowitz 1994: extreme reactions exhibited at deaths of celebrities like Elvis and John Lennon

Question 8

Who has conducted research into the ending of parasocial relationships?

Answer 8

Eyal and Cohen 2006: after last episode of Friends, 279 students surveyed, intensity of parasocial relationships with character = predictor of break up reaction intensity

Question 9

What finding contradicts the parasocial explanation?

Answer 9

duration of the parasocial relationship not predictor of intensity of breakup reaction but the longer REAL relationships last, the more painful the loss is

Question 10

What does the parasocial relationship not explain?

Answer 10

No explanation of why having a parasocial relationship is more of an attraction to some people: individual differences