Relationships - Parasocial relationships

Question 1

what are parasocial relationships

Answer 1

• one sided unreciprocated relationship usually with a celebrity

Question 2

what are the three levels of parasocial relationships

Answer 2

Celebrity attitude scale - McCutcheon (2002)

Entertainment social
- celebrities are sources of entertainment

Intense personal
- greater level of personal involvement

Borderline pathological
- uncomfortable fantasies and extreme behaviours

Question 3

what is the absorption addiction model

Answer 3

Absorption
- seeking fulfilment in celebrity worship motivates an individual to focus attention on the celebrity - identify with them

Addiction
- needs to increase dose to gain satisfaction
- extreme behaviours and delusional thinking

Question 4

what is attachment theory in parasocial relationships

Answer 4

• insecure resistant more likely to develop parasocial relationships
• seek to have unfulfilled needs met
• relationship that doesn’t have fear of rejection, break up or disappointment like real life relationships

Question 5

what are the strengths of parasocial relationships

Answer 5

McCutcheon (2016)
- used CAS to measure level of Parasocial relationship
- borderline pathological or intense personal had high anxiety in intimate relationships

Maltby et al (2005)
- assessed boys and girls 14-16
- girls who reported intense-personal relationship with an adult female whose body they admired - had poorer body image
- contribute to an eating disorder

Question 6

what is the limitation of Parasocial relationships

Answer 6

• cannot conclude that anxiety in relationships causes borderline-pathological
• no cause and effect relationship can be established