Parasocial relationships

Question 1

What is a parasocial relationship?

Answer 1

An individual will believe they are in a relationship with someone of a higher status (typically a celebrity). Parasocial relationships are one-sided and unreciprocated

Question 2

What is the entertainment-social subscale?

Answer 2

Celebrities viewed as fuel for social interaction like gossiping about someone in a workplace or school

Question 3

What is the intense-personal subscale?

Answer 3

Intense thoughts and feelings are felt about the celebrity, individuals like to share these thoughts with others who feel a similar way

Question 4

What is a borderline-pathological sub-scale?

Answer 4

Features uncontrollable and extreme behaviours. These might include spending or planning to spend a large sum of money on a celebrity related topic, or being willing to perform some illegal act at the celebrities say so.

Question 5

What is the absorption-addiction model of parasocial?

Answer 5

McCutheon (2002)
This model explains the tendency to form parasocial relationships in terms of deficiencies people have in their own lives. The theory suggests parasocial relationships allow them an escape from their own lives. This theory is linked to the levels of parasocial relationship and suggests a trigger can lead to a more intense parasocial relationship.

Question 6

What is absorption in the A-A Model?

Answer 6

Seeking fulfillment from the celebrity motivates the individual to become preoccupied and identify with them. Gives a ‘feel good’ factor. They want to ‘absorb’ their success

Question 7

What is addiction in the A-A model?

Answer 7

Individual needs a more intense involvement to sustain commitment to relationship. Could lead to extreme behaviours like stalking them, and/or delusional thinking. E.g., convincing themselves that they are in a relationship and have had sexual relations (lost touch with reality).

Question 8

Attachment styles and PSR theory?

Answer 8

Perhaps their attachment style from infancy can better explain parasocial relationships

Question 9

Type B: Secure attachment styles in children?

Answer 9

Children: played contently with their mother present even if there was a stranger in the room; returned to her periodically; sought comfort from her; only moderate separation and stranger anxiety.

Question 10

Type B: Secure attachment styles in adults?

Answer 10

Empathetic; able to create meaningful loving relationships; high self-esteem.

Question 11

Type A: Insecure-avoidant attachment styles in children?

Answer 11

Children: Ignored their mothers; the mother’s absence didn’t affect their play; did not return to her during play; little stress during separation or when a stranger was present.

Question 12

Type A: Insecure-avoidant attachment styles in adults?

Answer 12

Problems with intimacy; invests little in emotional relationships; unwilling to share feelings.

Question 13

Type C: Insecure-resistant attachment styles in children?

Answer 13

Children: Explored less and stayed by their mother; high separation and stranger anxiety; distressed by her leaving and sought contact on return, but would show anger and fight her contact.

Question 14

Type C: Insecure-resistant attachment styles in adults?

Answer 14

Impact on adult relationships: Avoid but want closeness; worries that partner doesn’t love them; distraught when relationships end.

Question 15

Proximity seeking behaviour in PSR?

Answer 15

A key component of attachment theory is proximity seeking as individuals attempt to reduce the distance between themselves and their attachment figure. Fans exhibit many proximity-seeking behaviours as part of their PSR - e.g.,
- Staying informed about their favourite celebrity
- Collecting trivia about them
- Rearranging schedules to see them on TV
- Attempting to contact them through letters or in person

Question 16

Secure base in PSR?

Answer 16

The presence of the attachment figure provides a sense of security for the individual, a ‘safe haven’ that allows them to explore the world.

With a PSR, there is little or no chance of rejection from the AF so the individual is able to create a secure base from which they can explore other relationships in a safe way.

Question 17

Protest at disruption in PSR?

Answer 17

The best marker of an attachment may be the presence of prolonged distress following separation or loss of the AF.

This can be seen in PSRs too - i.e., if the celebrity dies or they are cut from a TV show, the band breaks up etc.
E.g., distraught fans when One Direction broke up.

Question 18

Cole and Leeds (1999)

Answer 18

Explain why some people are more likely to develop PSRs.
A person’s willingness to form a PS bond with their favourite TV personality is related to their attachment beliefs.

Question 19

Cole and Leeds (1999) - Insecure-resistant

Answer 19

Individuals hold more negative views about themselves. They turn to TV characters as a means of satisfying their often unmet relational needs. These PSRs reflect their desire for intimacy, even if this intimacy is with a TV personality.

Question 20

Cole and Leeds (1999) - Insecure-avoidant

Answer 20

Least likely to enter into PSRs with TV personalities.
They find it difficult to develop intimate relationships and therefore are less likely to seek real-life relationships or PSRs.
They avoid not only relational intimacy but imagined intimacy as well.

Question 21

Cole and Leeds (1999) - Secure

Answer 21

Engaged in a moderate level of parasocial interaction.
These individuals were particularly likely to turn to parasocial interaction when they found it hard to trust their relational partner.