lesson 11 - absorption addiction model Flashcards
what are parasocial relationships
Parasocial relationships refer to one-sided relationships with a celebrity where
a fan knows everything about the subject of their adoration and feels very close
to them, but there is no chance of reciprocity.
what are the levels of parasocial relationships
entertainment social
interpersonal
borderline pathological
first level of parasocial relationships
Entertainment-Social: Most people engage in parasocial relationships at
some point in their lives, but most stay at this first level. Celebrities are
seen as a source
second level of parasocial relationships
Intense-Personal: This is a deeper level of parasocial relationships. At
this level a person has a private obsession and feeling of personal
connection with a celebrity. For example, they may see them as a
soulmate and they have an intense interest in the celebrity’s personal life,
such as their dress sense, food they like and entertainment in which they
take part
third level of parasocial relationships
Borderline-Pathological: This is the most intense level of parasocial
relationships. At this level, a person takes celebrity worship to an
extreme, has obsessive fantasies about the celebrity and spends large
sums of money to obtain memorabilia. It is also usual for people to believe
that if only they were given a chance to meet their favourite celebrity in
person, their feelings would be reciprocated. They may show
uncontrollable/extreme behaviours such as stalking.
what is the absorption addiction model
The absorption-addiction model (McCutcheon et al. 2002) argues that
parasocial relationships focused on a celebrity make up for
inadequacies/deficiencies/dissatisfaction in a person’s real life/relationships
and provide them with a sense of identity.
People with an addictive nature will escalate through the levels of parasocial
relationships until their parasocial relationship becomes a total pre-occupation
with a celebrity’s life.
explain absorption
Absorption: People with weaker personal identity may become totally pre-
occupied/consumed with the life of a celebrity and begin to identify with
them.
explain addiction
Addiction: The person seeks even greater involvement so the parasocial
relationship becomes all consuming.
strengths of absorption addiction model
Research supports a link between loneliness and engaging in parasocial
relationships. For example, Greenwood and Long (2009) found some evidence
that people may develop parasocial relationships as a way of dealing with a
recent loss or loneliness.
+ 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.
+ Maltby et al. (2005) 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.
weakness of absorption addiction model
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.
- 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.
