Parasocial Relationships Content Flashcards
What are parasocial relationships?
One-sided relationships, where one person expends considerable levels of emotional energy, interest and time, while the other person (usually a celebrity), is unaware of their existence and so the the feelings aren’t reciprocated.
What did Maltby et al (2006) use to measure the extremity of parasocial relationship?
Celebrity attitude scale (CAS)
What are the 3 levels on the CAS scale and what are examples for each?
Bottom - Entertainment-social
Middle - Intense-personal
Top - borderline-pathological
What is contained within the entertainment-social stage of parasocial relationships?
. Individual sees their celebrity as a source of gossip/interaction in everyday life, forming part of their daily conversation
. This stage isn’t pathological (like a mental health problem) and many teenagers experience this level
What is contained in the intense-personal level of parasocial relationships?
. Intense, compulsive feelings towards celebrity, such as thinking about them all the time
. The level of control and realism in the ‘relationship’ becomes less and is gradually becoming a fantasy
. This stage can still be common in teenagers who obsess over a celebrity
What is contained in the borderline pathological stage of parasocial relationships?
. Individual absolutely believes that if they got into conversation with the celebrity, the celebrity would reciprocate feelings.
. The fact that the celebrity hasn’t acknowledged the individual yet makes them become desperate
. Go huge lengths to see the celebrity such as getting a flight for them
- can lead to stalking
. Behaviour becomes uncontrollable and a fantasy
What does the absorption addiction model try to explain?
How parasocial relationships can lead to people becoming borderline pathological and how the relationship becomes abnormal
- essentially it fills in the missing explanation as to how people move through the levels of the CAS
What is the ‘absorption’ part of the absorption addiction model?
. Individuals who aren’t sure of themselves so look to others for style etc. will adopt a celebrities style to establish a sense of personal identity
. Becoming absorbed with a celebrity can help them escape their mundane lives
. The thoughts about the celebrity will take over their life
. As the individual seeks fulfilment in a celebrity, they will become absorbed by them
What does the absorption addiction model predict about who becomes borderline pathological?
There is an association between poorer mental health and strengthening of parasocial relationships to a higher level
How does the absorption become addiction in PS relationships?
. Individuals require more intense involvement to sustain commitment and gain satisfaction to the levels they desire that help them feel fulfilled and identify with the celebrity
. Their sense of identity relies on the celebrity and the fact that the celebrity isn’t responding allows delusional thinking to develop as the individual can believe whatever they want about the celebrity as they won’t be rejected
What does Bowlby’s attachment theory state about problems that arise from problems with attachment in early childhood?
The internal working model used to develop later relationships will be damaged
Why are insecure-resistant attachment types more likely to develop PS relationships?
They desire to have a close emotional relationship without the risk of rejection as they are concerned that other won’t reciprocate their need for intimacy as in their childhood their mother was not a consistent caregiver
- as the celebrity is unaware of the relationship, don’t have to worry about rejection and can feel a close intimate bond
