L12 - Absorption Addiction Model

Question 1

what is the ABSORPTION ADDICTION MODEL?

Answer 1

The ABSORPTION ADDICTION MODEL attempts to EXPLAIN WHY PEOPLE DEVELOP PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

It argues that PURSUING PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS MAKES UP FOR DEFICITS in an INDIVIDUAL’S REAL LIFE RELATIONSHIPS

RELATIONSHIPS WITH CELEBRITIES are seen as an ATTEMPT TO COPE WITH OR ESCAPE FROM REALITY

Question 2

what else do PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS enable individuals to do?

Answer 2

PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS also ENABLE INDIVIDUALS to DEVELOP A SENSE OF PERSONAL IDENTITY and ACHIEVE A SENSE OF FULFILMENT

Question 3

what happens to people with an ADDICTIVE NATURE?

Answer 3

People with an ADDICTIVE NATURE will ESCALATE THROUGH a SERIES OF STAGES (ABSORPTION AND ADDICTION) until their PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIP becomes a TOTAL PRE-OCCUPATION with a CELEBRITY’S LIFE

Question 4

what are the TWO COMPONENTS of the ABSORPTION-ADDICTION model?

Answer 4

1) ABSORPTION

2) ADDICTION

Question 5

what is the ABSORPTION COMPONENT of the ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL?

Answer 5

SEEKING FULFILMENT in CELEBRITY WORSHIP MOTIVATES one to FOCUS ALL THEIR ATTENTION ON THE CELEBRITY, to BECOME PRE-OCCUPIED in THEIR EXISTENCE and IDENTIFY WITH THEM

Question 6

what is the ADDICTION COMPONENT of the ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL?

Answer 6

The individual SUSTAINS THEIR COMMITMENT to the RELATIONSHIP by FEELING A STRONGER and CLOSE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CELEBRITY

This leads to MORE EXTREME BEHAVIOURS and DELUSIONAL THINKING (e.g STALKING A CELEBRITY because there is a BELIEF THEY SHARE MUTUAL FEELINGS)

Question 7

+ GREENWOOD and LONG (EVALUATION OF ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL)

Answer 7

+ RESEARCH SUPPORTS A LINK between LONELINESS and ENGAGING IN PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

For example, GREENWOOD AND LONG found SOME EVIDENCE that people MAY DEVELOP PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS as a WAY OF DEALING WITH A RECENT LOSS or LONELINESS

Question 8

+ STALKERS (EVALUATION OF ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL)

Answer 8

+ STALKERS often have a HISTORY of FAILED SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS at the TIME OF THE STALKING

STALKING in such cases is a REACTION TO SOCIAL INCOMPETENCE, ISOLATION and LONELINESS

Question 9

+ MALTBY ET AL (EVALUATION OF ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL)

Answer 9

+ MALTBY ET AL MEASURED the RELATIONSHIP between PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS and BODY IMAGE IN TEENAGERS

They found that TEENAGE GIRLS who ENGAGED IN PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS TENDED TO HAVE A POOR BODY IMAGE, especially if they PARTICULARLY ADMIRED A CELEBRITY’S PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Question 10

• CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH (EVALUATION OF ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL)

Answer 10

• MOST RESEARCH into PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS is CORRELATIONAL. This means that CAUSE AND EFFECT CANNOT BE CLEARLY ESTABLISHED, LOWERING THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATORY POWER

For example, while a SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION was found between POOR BODY IMAGE and INTENSIVE PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS in TEENAGE GIRLS, this DOES NOT MEAN that INTENSE PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS CAUSES POOR BODY IMAGE.

It may as well be that GIRLS WHO ALREADY HAVE A POOR BODY IMAGE tend to ENGAGE IN A MORE INTENSIVE LEVEL of PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS to ENHANCE THEIR SELF ESTEEM

Question 11

• SIMPLISTIC (EVALUATION OF ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL)

Answer 11

• the ABSORPTION-ADDICTION MODEL is BETTER SUITED to DESCRIBING LEVELS OF PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS than EXPLAINING HOW PEOPLE DEVELOP THESE ATTITUDES

This model ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIOUR and as such MISSES OUT ON DEEP INSIGHT INTO THE REASONS FOR BEHAVIOUR

Looking into PARTICULAR INSTANCES OF PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, may be BETTER SUITED to UNCOVERING THE REASONS FOR WHY PEOPLE DEVELOP THEM