Relationships: Parasocial relationships Flashcards

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1
Q

What are parasocial relationships (Horton and Wohl)

A
  • They are one sided, unreciprocated relationships, usually with a celebrity, on which the ‘fan’ expends a lot of emotional energy, commitment and time but the celebrity doesn’t know the fan exists.
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2
Q

What are the key features of parasocial relationships

A
  • The object of affection is perceived as attractive
  • They are perceived as similar to us
  • The viewer is usually female
  • The viewer is lonely and shy
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3
Q

What is the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS)

A
  • A tool used to measure PSR.
  • Measures social aspect of celebrity worship - ‘My friends and I like to discuss what X has done.’
  • intensity of person’s feelings towards the celebrity along with obsessional tendencies -> ‘I consider X to be my soul mate.’
  • potentially harmful aspects of feelings towards the celebrity - ‘If X asked me to do something illegal as a favour I would probably do it.’
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4
Q

What are the levels of parasocial relationships (3 levels)

A
  1. entertainment-social
  2. intense-personal
  3. borderline-pathological
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5
Q

What are borderline pathological relationships (Level 3)

A
  • uncontrollable, extreme behaviours.
  • e.g. willing to perform an illegal act if a celebrity says so.
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6
Q

What are entertainment social relationships (level 1)

A
  • Celebrity viewed as a fuel for social interaction -> gossip etc.
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7
Q

What are intense-personal relationships (level 2)

A
  • Intense thoughts and feelings are felt about the celebrity.
  • Individuals like to share these thoughts with others who feel a similar way.
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8
Q

What is the absorption addiction model (McCutcheon)

A
  • McCutcheon et al. (2002) -> explains how parasocial relationships become abnormal.
  • absorption: they have deficits in their own sense of personal identity.
    -> Absorption has addictive qualities so individuals go to further lengths to maintain a sense of fulfilment via the parasocial relationship.
  • predicts an association between poorer mental health and strength of parasocial relationships.
    -> Someone who initially has an entertainment-social orientation may be triggered into a more intense involvement by a stressful life event.
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9
Q

Explain how addiction is a factor in parasocial relationships

A
  • The individual needs to sustain their commitment to the relationship by feeling a stronger and closer involvement with the celebrity.
  • Leads to extreme behaviours and delusional thoughts.
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10
Q

Explain how attachment is a factor in parasocial relationships

A
  • Theory proposes insecure attachment leads to an increased interest in celebrities.
  • PSRs make no demands, and do not involve criticism or the risk of rejection.
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11
Q

Explain the different attachment attachment styles which play a factor in parasocial relationships

A
  • insecure-resistant: Most likely to form PSRs.
    -> concern that others will not reciprocate their desire for intimacy.
    -> They turn to TV characters to satisfy their “unrealistic and often unmet relational needs”.
  • Anxious avoidant: Least likely.
    -> difficult to develop relationships and therefore are very unlikely to seek them from real or fictional people.
  • Secure attachment: Not likely.
    -> have satisfactory real-life relationships and do not seek as additional relationship with a celebrity.
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12
Q

(+) Explain Robert’s study on parasocial relationships

A
  • studied 200 students (100 male, 100 female) who answered questions similar to the CAS and found a positive correlation between insecurely attached individuals and frequently contacting celebrities.
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13
Q

(-) Explain McCutcheon’s study on parasocial relationships

A
  • McCutcheon et al. (2006) –> 250 university students completed questionnaires examining personality types and their views on celebrities.
  • They did not find a relationship between having an insecure attachment and parasocial relationships
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14
Q

List the evaluations for parasocial relationships

A

positive:
- Real World Application (eating disorders)
- Strong links to mental health
- Cultural influences

Negative:
- Problems with absorption addiction model (descriptive)

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15
Q

(+) explain how research into parasocial relationships can help with understanding eating disorders (Maltby)

A
  • Maltby (2005) looked in particularly at females aged 14-16 who had a parasocial relationship with a female whose body shape they admired.
  • these females had a poor body image.
    -> could be a precursor to the development of anorexia.
  • Understanding the development of anorexia, could lead to education on parasocial relationships in school.
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16
Q

(+) explain how research into parasocial relationships has links to mental health (Maltby) (Eysenck personality questionnaire)

A
  • Maltby et al (2003) used the Eysenck personality questionnaire to assess the relationships between parasocial relationship level and personality.
  • Entertainment Social = Extraversion (sociable, lively).
  • Intense Personal = Neuroticism (tense, emotional, moody).
  • Borderline Pathological = Psychoticism (anti social, egocentric).
  • found those with depression are potentially vulnerable to getting addicted to PSRs.
17
Q

(-) explain the problem with the absorption-addiction model

A
  • A better description than explanation.
  • Describes the characteristics of people who are most absorbed by and addicted to celebrities but does not explain how the characteristics develop.
18
Q

(+) Explain how there are cultural influences which are related to parasocial relationships (Schmid and Klimmt)

A
  • Schmid and Klimmt (2001) found that the tendency to form a parasocial relationship with Harry Potter is not culturally specific.
  • Individualist cultures and collectivist cultures showed similar levels of parasocial attachment.