L12 - Absorption Addiction Model

Question 1

What does the Absorption Addiction model try to explain? What does it argue?

Answer 1

• Why people develop parasocial relationships.
• It argues that PRs make up for deficits in an individuals real life relationships.
• Seen as an attempt to cope with or escape reality

Question 2

What do PRs enable?

Answer 2

Individuals to develop a sense of personal identity and achieve a sense of fulfilment

Question 3

What will people with an addictive nature do?

Answer 3

Escalate through a series of stages until their PR becomes a total pre-occupation with a celebs life

Question 4

What are the two components of this model?

Answer 4

• Absorption: Seeking fulfilment in celeb worship motivates one to focus all their attention on the celebrity and to become pre-occupied in their existence and identify with them
• Addiction: Sustains their commitment by feeling a stronger and close involvement with the celeb. Leads to extreme behaviours and delusion thinking

Question 5

Evaluation (+)

Answer 5

(+) Link between loneliness and engaging in PRs. Evidence that people may develop PRs as a way of dealing with a recent loss or loneliness
(+) Stalkers have a history of failed sexual relationships at the time of stalking. Stalking is a reaction to social incompetence, isolation and loneliness
(+) Measured relationship between PRs and body image in teens. Teen girls engaging in PRs had poor body image, esp if they admired a celebs physical appearance

Question 6

Evaluation (-)

Answer 6

(-) Most research is correlational - cause and effect cannot established, lowering scientific explanatory power e.g teens with body issues may partake in PRs not vice versa
(-) Model is better suited to describing levels of PRs than explaining why these attitudes develop. Looking into instances of PRs might be better suited to uncovering why they happen