Parasocial Relationship: ✅

Question 1

Explain parasocial relationships?

Answer 1

• Para = resemble (so parasocial relationships resemble real but are missing key element).
• one sides/ unreciprocated.
• will invest emotion/time/money.
• other party unaware (they think they would feel same if they knew them).

Question 2

What are the two pathological views? (Mental illness)

Answer 2

• Absorption addiction model.
• Attachment style.

Question 3

When are parasocial relations more likely?

Answer 3

• Person is attractive.
• Person perceived as similar.
• viewer is female.
  -viewer is lonely and shy.

Question 4

What are the levels of parasocial relationship? Who are they by?

Answer 4

Question 5

How were the levels of parasocial relationships developed? What measures it?

Answer 5

By maltby et al using the Celebrity attitude scale.
- measure intensity of persons feelings/obsessional tendencies.
- measure potential harmful aspects of feelings.

Question 6

Explain the borderline pathological level?

Answer 6

• Uncontrollable behaviours/fantasies.
• Most intense level.
• Spend lots of money following them.
• Believe feelings would be reciprocated.

Question 7

Explain the intense personal level?

Answer 7

• Devlope intense compulsive feelings.
• Start thinking celeb as soulmate.
• Common for teens.

Question 8

Explain the entertainment-social level?

Answer 8

Celeb is a source of gossip.

Question 9

How does the parasocial relationship link to mental health?

Answer 9

Maltby et al 2003:
Used Eysincks personality Q to asses relationship w parasocial relation level + personality.
F =
Entertainment social = extraversion (social)
Intense personal = Neuroticism (emotional, moody).
Borderline pathological = psychoticism (anti-social, ego centric).

Link = McCutcheon + Levy = Levels are effected by personality/ intelligence (had low IQ scores).

Question 10

What were the results on the study on royal family stalkers? What does it support?

Answer 10

Out of 275 83% had psychosis.
This links scoring high on levels and mental health. Suggests that if you get BP it links to stalking due to being so mentally involved.

Question 11

How common is each level?

Answer 11

Out of 378 (18-47 year olds)
15% ES (entertainment social).
5% IP (intense personal).
2% BP (borderline pathological).

Question 12

Who developed the absorption and addiction model?

Answer 12

McCutcheon et al 2002

Question 13

Explain the absorption addiction model?

Answer 13

How people become borderline pathological.
- certain type of person takes liking to a celeb however differences means they are more predisposed to becoming BP.
- try to establish a personality through other person (do lots of research on other person).
- escapism from own life.
- model predicts association w bad mental health = lack of job, less social.

• due to social circumstance or lack of meaningful relations individuals may become “absorbed” by lies of celebrity. This “effortless” focus make person feel they have special relationship. Is level of absorption is high then person may move higher on para-social as they become addicted and keep leaving in over to sustain satisfaction.

Question 14

Who said there are positives to a para-asocial relationship? Explain?

Answer 14

Jenkins and jenson:
- can improve life of mentally ill person.
- creates social network (find people w similar obsession may even meet up w them to find celeb).
- in norm circumstances these relations wouldn’t be able to form.

Question 15

What does attachment theory explain?

Answer 15

That due to childhood attachments you may have a higher tendencies to form a par-asocial theory.
That insecure resistance are most likely to form these types.

Question 16

Why are insecure resistant most likely to form a parasocial relation?

Answer 16

• Fear others wont reciprocate their intimate behaviour.
• Have a fear of abandonment (don’t trust).
• turn to fictional characters who will accept their intimate behaviour + can trust them.

Question 17

Why are insecure avoidant least likely to form a parasocial relationship?

Answer 17

• Find it difficult to form relationships in general due to being so independent.
• Avoid risk of pain and rejection in relations altogether.

Question 18

What research supports attachment style in explaining parasocial relationships?

Answer 18

Cole and leets 1999:
P = study on 115 collage undergrads
F = Insecure-resistant style were most liked to form parasocial w fav celeb but avoidant were least likely.

Question 19

Will secure attachments likely form a parasocial relationship?

Answer 19

No due to being satisfied w current relationships.

Question 20

Explain the McCutchon study? How did it refute attachment theory?

Answer 20

P = 299 students = used celeb attitude scale and stalking scale.
F = those w insecure were more likely to think stalking was acceptable. Therefore insecure attachment is a predisposing factor to para-social relations.
- also found that insecure was no more likely to develope parasocial than secure.

Question 21

What are the issues with studies on parasocial relationships? Spec w absorption addiction?

Answer 21

Methodological issues:
- Self-report/questinairs are effected by bias such as socially desirable.
- Correlational.
Absorption addiction:
- Better description than explanation as it shows characteristics of people who are borderline pathological. (Doesn’t show how these develop).