Paper 3 - Relationship - Parasocial Relationships

Question 1

What is the short version for Parasocial Relationships

Answer 1

PSR

Question 2

What does para mean?

Answer 2

Close to or beside

Question 3

What are PSR?

Answer 3

Parasocial relationships are one sided unreciprocated relationships, usually with a celebrity, on which the fan expends a lot of emotional energy, commitment and time but the celebrity doesn’t know the fan exists

Question 4

When are PSR more likely to occur?

Answer 4

PSR’s are more likely to occur if:
The object of affection is perceived as attractive
Perceived as similar to us
Perceived as real
The viewer is female
The viewer is lonely and shy

Question 5

What are the different levels of PRS relationships?

Answer 5

Entertainment social
Intense - personal
Borderline pathological

Question 6

Explain the top of the levels of PRS relationships

Answer 6

Entertainment social
Celebrity is a source of gossip/interaction

Question 7

Explain the middle level of the levels of PRS relationships

Answer 7

Intense - personal
Intensive, compulsive feelings towards celebrities

Question 8

Explain the bottom level of PSR?

Answer 8

Boarderline pathological
Uncontrollable behaviours/ fantasies

Eg some people started cutting themselves when Justin Beiver was arrested

Question 9

What is the AAM?

Answer 9

Absorption Addiction model

Question 10

Explain the AAM?

Answer 10

The AAM has two parts; the first part, absorption, is where people become absorbed in the celebrity’s lifestyle, women might want to look like them and want to establish a personal identity with that person. The second part, addiction, is where the person becomes obsessed with the celebrity and could undertake dangerous behaviours. This can happen in PSR if someone has failed at a normal relationship.

Question 11

What could lead to someone progressing down the level of PSR?

Answer 11

Stressful life events

Question 12

Explain the theory of a connection between attachment type and likelihood to have a PSR?

Answer 12

Theory proposes insecure attachment leads to an increased interest in celebrities.
Because PSRs make no demands, and do not involve criticism or the risk of rejection. Furthermore, the need to have their own unfulfilled needs are met (resistant)

Question 13

Why relationship type is most likely to form a PSR?

Answer 13

Insecure resistant (anxious ambivalent)

Question 14

Explain the attachment type in reference to PSR - securely attached?

Answer 14

Securely attachment - • Not likely
• Often have satisfactory real-life relationships and do not seek as additional relationship with a celebrity.

Question 15

Explain the attachment type in reference to PSR - anxious avoidant

Answer 15

Insecure avoidant (anxious avoidant)- • Least likely
• They find it difficult to develop relationships and therefore are very unlikely to seek them from real or fictional people.

Question 16

Explain the attachment type in reference to PSR - insecure resistant

Answer 16

Insecure resistance (anxious ambivalent) - • Most likely to form PSRs
• They have concern that others will not reciprocate their desire for intimacy. They turn to TV characters to satisfy their “unrealistic and often unmet relational needs”

Question 17

Explain the results of McCutheon’s study?

Answer 17

Of 600ppts;
• 20% fell into the first category of ‘Entertainment- Social’
• 10% the second ‘Intense- Personal’
• 1% the third ‘Borderline- Pathological’

Question 18

State the evaluations of AAM?

Answer 18

Explanation power

Question 19

State the evaluation of attachment types?

Answer 19

Problems with the attachment theory

Question 20

State the evaluations of - general PSR and attachment types

Answer 20

An explanation of eating disorder
Links to mental health
Roberts (2007)

Question 21

State the evaluations for PSR

Answer 21

Cultural differences

Question 22

State the evaluations of AAM and PSR?

Answer 22

Methodological issues

Question 23

Explain the evaluation of AAM - explanationism

Answer 23

• A better description than explanation
• Describes the characteristics of people who are most absorbed by and addicted to celebrities but does not explain how the characteristics develop

Question 24

Explain the evaluation of attachment types - problems with the attachment theory

Answer 24

McCutcheon et al. (2006)
1. Adults with insecure attachment are more likely to become attached to celebrities than those with a secure adult attachment type.
2. Insecure adults are more likely to agree with/condone stalking and obsessive behaviour towards celebrities.
3. There is a correlation between stalking and pathological tendencies towards attachment to celebrities.
McCutcheon et al’s research: Sample: 299 students (age 16-42) Procedure: used Celebrity Attitude Scale and a Stalking Scale.
Measured adult attachment using a relationship questionnaire.
Measured childhood attachment type through the use of a parental bonding scale based on their recall of the relationship with their parents before the age of 16.

Question 25

Explain the general evaluation of PSR and attachment type - An explanation of eating disorders

Answer 25

Maltby (2005) looked in particularly at females aged 14-16 who had a parasocial relationship with a female whose body shape they admired. They found these females had a poor body image. They speculated this could be a precursor to the development of anorexia.
Understanding the development of anorexia, could lead to education on parasocial relationships in school i.e. preventive measures implemented to prevent anorexia.
Correlational research method has issues with determining cause and effect, could just be speculative.

Question 26

Explain the general evaluation of PSR and attachment type - links to mental health

Answer 26

Maltby et al (2003) used the Eysenck personality questionnaire to assess the relationships between parasocial relationship level and personality.
Entertainment Social = Extraversion (sociable, lively)
Intense Personal = Neuroticism (tense, emotional, moody) (Neuroticism is also linked to depression and anxiety) Borderline Pathological = Psychoticism (anti social, egocentric)
Certain people’s personalities – e.g. those with personality disorders are potentially vulnerable to getting addicted to PSRs (BPD/ Psychotic personality disorder)

Question 27

Explain the general evaluation of PSR and attachment type - Roberts (2007)

Answer 27

• 200 students (100 male, 100 female) answered questions similar to the CAS and found a positive correlation between insecurely attached individuals and frequently contacting celebrities.
• McCutcheon et al. (2006) – 250 university students completed questionnaires examining personality types and their views on celebrities.
• They did not find a relationship between having an insecure attachment and parasocial relationships

Question 28

Explain the evaluation of PSR - cultural differences

Answer 28

Schmid and Klimmt (2001) found that the tendency to form a parasocial relationship with Harry Potter is not culturally specific
• Individualist cultures and collectivist cultures showed similar levels of parasocial attachment.

Question 29

Explain the evaluation of AAM and PSR …?

Answer 29

Self report measures – can cause bias as people can give socially desirable answers
• Correlational analysis – parasocial relationships CAUSE women to have poor body image
• Could it be the other way around?
• Could be addressed with longitudinal research