L12 - Para-social Relationships Flashcards
Define PSR
One-sided relationship where a person invests lots of time and energy into an adored but unattainable person
PSRs resemble what
A real life normal relationship
PSRs have no chance of
Reciprocity
What things are important in forming a PSR?
Similarity to individual
Individual’s perceived attractiveness of the person
3 levels are
Entertainment-social
Intense-personal
Borderline-pathological
Describe entertainment-social
Person is seen as a source of entertainment and is discussed in lighthearted gossip with friends
Describe intense-personal
More intense interest in the person’s personal life and their interests
Try to take part in these interests
Describe borderline-pathological
Obsessive fantasies and inappropriate, sometimes illegal behaviours like stalking thinking their feelings will be reciprocated
+ related to self esteem survey
Given self esteem survey before and after writing an essay about fave celeb
Those with low self esteem before increased after
Incorporate celeb traits into themselves
- related to education levels
Highly educated may perceive media personalities/celebs as less educated reducing chance of PSRs as perceive themselves as less similar
Not universal, individual differences
- to type of methodology used
Often use questionnaires
Often find correlations but don’t explain how/could be third unknown variable
Study procedure
Student fans of “Friends”
Tried to find a link between PSRs and loneliness
Study findings
Intensity of PSRs was strongest predictor of feelings or loneliness after the last episode
PSRs compensate for loneliness but also create it
+ of study related to meta-analysis
Found those with high PSR levels watched more TV
Positive relationship between perceiving TV personas as real and tendency to form PSRs
- of study related to participants
Only used students
Not other ages to determine if PSRs form with a particular age group
Younger participants like 11-13 excluded?
