Relationships : Parasocial Relationships

Question 1

Parasocial relationships

Answer 1

Parasocial relationships are one-sided, interpersonal relationships in which an individual knows a great deal about another person (usually a celebrity), while the other person is unaware of their existence. The most common form of such parasocial relationships is between a fan and a
celebrity.

Question 2

Levels of Parasocial Relationships

Answer 2

Giles and Maltby (2006) identified three levels of parasocial relationships that a person might have with a celebrity. The first level is the entertainment-social level, where the person keeps up with their celebrity and finds out information about them for the purpose of entertainment. The second level is the intense-personal level, where the person has intensive feelings for the celebrity and might appear obsessed. The third level is borderline-pathological, and this is where the person has over-identified with the celebrity and their fantasies and behaviour may have become uncontrollable; their absorption is more like anaddiction

Question 3

Absorption Addiction Model

Answer 3

The Absorption Addiction Model was proposed by McCutcheon et al. (2002) and suggests that people pursue parasocial relationships due to deficits within their real life. Relationships with celebrities are seen as an aJempt to cope with or escape from reality. People may follow celebrities to gain a sense of personal identity and achieve
a sense of fulfilment.

Question 4

Attachment Theory of Parasocial Relationships

Answer 4

The attachment theory of parasocial relationships suggests that some people are more likely to form parasocial relationships due to their attachment style.
- Cole and Leets (1999) found that individuals with an insecure-resistant attachment style were more likely to engage in parasocial rela4onships with their favourite TV personality, and insecure-avoidant individuals were less likely to engage in
parasocial relationships.

Question 5

What did Giles and Maltby identify as three levels of parasocial relationship

Answer 5

• Stage 1 Entertain - Social: Giles and Maltby
• Stage 2 Intense - Personal
• Stage 3 Borderline Pathological

Question 6

What Stage 1 Entertain - Social : Giles and Maltby?

Answer 6

• Stage 1 Entertain – Social: Giles and Maltby suggest that most people engage in parasocial relationships at some point in their lives, but most stay at the first level (Entertainment – Social), 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.

Question 7

What is Stage 2 Intense - Personal?

Answer 7

• Stage 2 Intense – Personal: This is 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 celebrity’s lifestyle.

Question 8

What is Stage 3 Borderline Pathological ?

Answer 8

Stage 3 Borderline pathological: This is the most intense level of parasocial relationships. At this level, a person takes celebrity worship to an extreme, has obsessive fantasies about the celebrity, spends 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 9

What is the Absorption-Addiction Model?

Answer 9

McCutcheon (2002) proposed the Absorption-Addiction Model to explain parasocial relationships. She suggests that people engage in celebrity worship to compensate for some deficiencies in their life, such as difficulty forming intimate relationships, poor psychological adjustment and lack of identity. Forming parasocial relationships with a celebrity allows them to achieve the fulfilment they lack in everyday life and adds a sense of purpose and excitement.

Question 10

What is the first stage of the Absorption-Addiction Model? ( By McCutheon)

Answer 10

McCutcheon explains that looking for satisfaction in celebrity worship makes a person focus intensively on parasocial relationships and achieving a sense of fulfilment motivates them to become even more intensely attached to the celebrity. This is the first stage of the model, absorption

Question 11

What is the second stage of the Absorption-Addiction Model? ( By McCutheon)

Answer 11

This sense of fulfilment then becomes addictive for the person, leading them to engage in more risky behaviour such as stalking, in order to get mentally, and sometimes physically, closer to the celebrity they worship

Question 12

What are other theory’s to explain celebrity worship?

Answer 12

Other psychologists use Bowlby’s attachment theory and Ainsworth’s types of attachment to explain celebrity worship. Bowlby’s theory predicts that individuals who didn’t form a strong bond with a primary caregiver in early childhood will try to find an attachment substitute as adults, and engaging in parasocial relationships allows them to do so.

Question 13

How does Ainsworth study relate to relationships

Answer 13

• Moreover, according to the description of attachment types described by Ainsworth suggest that individuals who formed insecure-resistant relationships with their caregiver in early childhood will be more likely to form parasocial relationships, as they are too afraid of the criticism and rejection that are a part of real life relationships.
• As was demonstrated by Ainsworth’s findings in Strange Situation study, insecure-resistant children were very clingy to their mothers, showed less explorative behaviour than children of other types, as they didn’t feel safe enough to leave a parent, and showed great distress when their mother left the room.

Question 14

How does Hazan and Shaver relate to relationships?

Answer 14

According to Hazan and Shaver, this behaviour translates into clingy and jealous behaviour in adulthood, making it difficult for such people to developed committed and lasting romantic relationships. Intensive celebrity worship allows them to engage in fantasy about the perfect relationship, without heartbreak and rejection.

Question 15

What research supports the absorption-addiction model?

Answer 15

Psychological research offers some support for absorption-addiction model. Maltby et al. (2005) measured the relation between celebrity worship and body image in teenagers. They found that teenage girls who were at the intense-personal level of celebrity worship tended to have a poor body image, especially if they particularly admired a celebrity’s physical appearance

Question 16

Bowlby’s Attachment Theory how does it relate with relationships?

Answer 16

•Suggests that early difficulties in attachment may lead to difficulties in forming successful relationships in later life
•These difficulties may lead to a preference for parasocial relationships to replace those within ones own social circle
•Parasocial relationships do not require the same social skills

Question 17

Strengths/Support of the Attachment Theory Explanation

Answer 17

Schmid and Klimmt (2011)
- Found similar levels of parasocial attachment to Harry Potter in an individualist culture (Germany)and a collectivist culture (Mexico)
- The tendency for attachment is not culturally specific
- The need to form parasocial relationships may be universal and innate
- Could be an adaptive behaviour
- temporal validity

Question 18

Limitations for the Attachment Theory Explanation

Answer 18

McCutcheon et al (2006)
- Participants with insecure attachments were no more likely to form parasocial relationships with celebrities than those with secure attachment styles
- Key assumption of explanation yet there is failure to find support for this assumption – validity?
- Attachment theory has little predictive strength
- no cause and effect it is a correlation

Question 19

How does insecure - resistant link with parasocial relationship?

Answer 19

• Most likely to form Parasocial Relationships
• Concern that others will not reciprocate their need for intimacy
• Turn to fictional characters

Question 20

How does insecure - avoidant link with parasocial relationship?

Answer 20

• Least likely to form Parasocial Relationships
• Find it difficult to form relationships therefore they are unlikely to seek them out

Question 21

How does secure attachment link with parasocial relationship?

Answer 21

• Not likely to form Parasocial Relationships
• Usually have satisfactory real-life relationships

Question 22

What does para mean

Answer 22

Resemble

Question 23

What order of attachment are likely to form a para social relationship

Answer 23

1.Insecure resistant
2. Secure attachment
3. insecure - avoidant

Question 24

Strengths/Support of the Absorption Addiction Model?

Answer 24

Maltby et al (2005)
• Studied female adolescents who reported an intense personal relationship with a female celebrity whose body shape they idolised
• These females tended to have a poor body image (leading to eating disorders)

Maltby et al (2003)
• Linked the entertainment-social level with extravert personality traits
• Intense-personal level with neurotic traits
• Borderline pathological level with psychotic personality traits
- Both studies show a correlation between the level of celebrity worship and disordered psychological functioning

Question 25

Limitations of the Addiction Absorption Model

Answer 25

• Model describes characteristics of individuals at each level – does not explain why the different forms develop
• Doesn’t allow us to help prevent the more disturbing aspects of parasocial relationships e.g. obsession, illegal behaviour
• Model is limited in explanatory power
• Also limited in its application for supporting people whose obessesion’s become problematic