Parasocial Relationships

Question 1

What are parasocial relationships?

Answer 1

-one-sided relationships where one person expends considerable emotional energy and interest and feels very close to the other person.
-The relationship is not reciprocal as the other person (usually a celebrity) is unaware of the existence of the relationship.

Question 2

What can Television and the Internet give the viewer?

Answer 2

the illusion of having a face-to-face relationship with a celebrity.

Question 3

What does bowlby’s attachment theory suggest?

Answer 3

that early difficulties in attachment may lead to difficulties forming successful relationships later in life.

Question 4

What may such difficulties lead to?

Answer 4

preference for parasocial relationships to replace real romantic relationships as parasocial
relationships do not have the same ability to cause further emotional distress.

Question 5

What does the attachment theory of parasocial relationships suggest?

Answer 5

that particular attachment styles form parasocial relationships in adolescence and adulthood because of attachment difficulties in early childhood

Question 6

What did Cole and alerts (1999) find?

Answer 6

found that individuals with an
insecure-resistant attachment style were more likely to engage with parasocial relationships because they need to have unfulfilled needs met and are too afraid of the
disappointment that are a part of real-life relationships

Question 7

As demonstrated by Ainsworth’s SS, what did insecure resistant attachment children show?

Answer 7

extreme separation anxiety, clingy behaviour and little willingness to explore. In a parasocial relationship these attachment behaviours will be shown by the individual. For
example, the dismissal of a celebrity figure from a television series can create separation anxiety such as sadness and anger

Question 8

Additionally, when researching the influence of early attachment on adult relationships, what did Hazan and Shaver find?

Answer 8

that insecure resistant children tended to fall in love easily,
demonstrated jealousy and worried that their partners might abandon them

Question 9

Therefore what do parasocial relationships allow these individuals to do?

Answer 9

experience intense celebrity worship and engage in a fantasy about the perfect relationship, without the heartbreak and fear of rejection