Relationships: parasocial r/ships

Question 1

What are Parasocial relationships

Answer 1

Parasocial relationships are generally where an individual will believe they are in a relationship with someone of a higher status (typically a celebrity).

It is usually without the celebrity’s knowledge and can be known as ‘hero/celebrity worship’.

The individual tends to come across the media personality in TV/film and comes to think of seeing these people on TV as an actual physical experience with them. They may feel they understand the TV personality more than everyone else.

They start off on a basis of friendship (albeit, a very one-sided friendship) but very often proceed in physical attraction and sexual desire

Question 2

Describe borderline pathological level of parasocial r/ships

Answer 2

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

At this level, a person takes celebrity worship to an extreme, has obsessive fantasies about the celebrity, could spend large sums of money to obtain memorabilia and may engage in illegal activities such as stalking. At this level, it is also usual for people to believe that if only they were given a chance to meet their favourite celebrity in person, their feelings would be reciprocated.

Question 3

Describe personal level of parasocial r/ships

Answer 3

A deeper level of parasocial relationships. At this level a person has a more intense relationship with a celebrity. For example, they may see them as a soulmate and they have an intense interest in the celebrity’s personal life, such as their dress sense, food they like and entertainment in which they take part.
This type of parasocial relationship is typical for teenagers who seem to be obsessed with every little detail of their favourite celebrities lifestyle.

Question 4

Describe entertainment-social level of parasocial r/ships

Answer 4

where celebrities are seen as a source of entertainment and as a topic for lighthearted gossips with friends. This is the least intense level of celebrity worship.
(Giles and Maltby suggest that) most people engage in parasocial relationships at some point in their lives, but most stay at this first level

Question 5

Describe The Absorption addiction model (McCutheon 2002)

Answer 5

Form PSR in terms of deficiencies people have.
E.g. weak sense of self-identity and/or a lack the fulfilment in their everyday R/ships
They could also be poorly adjusted psychologically.

A PSR allows them to ‘escape from reality’, or a way of finding fulfilment that they can’t achieve in their actual R/ships.
As the name implies – the Absorption-Addiction Model has two components

Absorption
Seeking fulfilment in celebrity motivates
individual to become preoccupied and identify
with them. Gives a ‘feel good’ factor

Addiction
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 actually in a R/ship like had sexual relations (lost touch with reality)

TO SUMMARISE-
Someone who initially has an entertainment-social orientation to a certain celebrity may be triggered into more intense involvement by some personal crisis or stressful life event.
Hence, absorbed becomes ADDICTION
The PSR makes up for a deficit in peoples lives