Parasocial relationships Flashcards
what are parasocial relationships
one-sided, unreciprocated relationship, usually with celebrity
= fan expends a lot of emotional energy, commitment and time
what are the three levels of parasocial relationships
- entertainment-social
- intense-personal
- borderline-pathological
what is the entertainment-social level
least intense level of celebrity worship
= view celebrities as source of entertainment and fuel for social interaction
- giles found parasocial relationships were fruitful sources of gossip in offices
what is the intense-personal level
intermediate level = reflect greater personal involvement
e.g. experience frequent obsessive thoughts and feelings about celebrity, may even see them as a ‘soulmate’
what is the borderline-pathological level
strongest level of celebrity worship
= features uncontrollable fantasies and extreme behaviours
e.g., spending large sum of money on celeb-related object, being willing to perform illegal act if celebrity asked them to
why may people form intense parasocial relationships
- low self esteem
- lack of fulfillment
- allow ‘escape from reality’
what is the absorption addiction model
created by McCutcheon
absorption = seeking fulfilment in celebrity worship motivates individual to focus attention as far as possible on celebrity
- to become preoccupied by/identify with them
addiction = individual needs to increase their ‘dose’ to gain satisfaction
- lead to more extreme behaviours/delusional thinking
how can attachment theory explain parasocial relationships
many psychologists suggest tendency to form PSR in adoloscence/adulthood due to attachment difficulties in early childhood (bowlby)
what 2 attachment types are associated with unhealthy emotional development
insecure resistant
insecure avoidant
why are insecure resistant most likely to form parasocial relationships
insecure avoidant = prefer avoiding pain/rejection of relationships altogether
insecure resistant = seek to have unfulfilled needs met, but in relationship not accompanied by threats of rejection, breakup and disappointment like IRL relationships
strength of parasocial relationships levels
high predictive validity
(predictions supported by research)
McCutcheon et al = pps scoring as borderline-pathological/intense-personal - tended to experience high anxiety in their intimate relationships
= suggests three categories are useful way of classifying ‘celebrity worshippers’ and predictive of actual behaviour
strength of absorption addiction model
research support
link between body image and celebrity worship
maltby et al = assessed boys and girls (14-16)
- girls who reported intense-personal PSR with adult female celeb whose body they admired = tended to have poor body image
- speculatory contribution to developing ED
= support prediction of association between poor psychological functioning and level of PSR
weaknesses of studies into parasocial relationships
correlational
= cause and effect cannot be clearly established
= lowering the scientific explanatory power
- maltby et al = does not mean intense celebrity worship causes poor body image, may 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.
reliance on self-report methods
e.g., interviews, questionnaires
= risk of social desirability bias and dishonesty
- means reasons for developing parasocial relationships may be different from the ones uncovered by research
= lowers the validity of explanations
= less applicable to real life
