Relationships: Parasocial Relationships Ao1 Flashcards
What is a para social relationships
‘Para - means resembling.
Parasocial relationships are missing a key element normally present in relationships - its one sided, unreciprocated
How many levels in parasocial relationships
3
Name the 3 levels - maltby
1) entertainment social
2) intense personal
3) borderline pathological
What is entertainment social
Celebrities viewed as fuel for social interaction like gossiping about someone in a workplace or school
What is intense personal
Intense thoughts and feelings are felt about the celebrity, individuals like to share these thoughts with others who feel a similar way
What is Borderline pathological
Features uncontrollable and extreme behaviours.
These might include spending or planning to spend a large sum of money on a celebrity related topic, or being willing to perform some illegal act at the celebrities say so
The Absorption addiction medel (McCutheon 2002)
Parasocial relationships (PSR’s) are an escape from deficiencies like
-Poor sense of identity
-Poor psychological adjustment (eg stressed)
-Lack of fulfilment in life
PSR’s allow an ‘escape from reality’ to seek fulfilment (a bit behavioural)
2 levels in absorption addiction model
Absorption;
Seeking fulfilment in celebnity motivates Individual to become preoccupied and indentify with them
Addiction;
Individual needs a more intense involvement to sustain commitment to relationship. Could lead to extreme behaviours Ike delusional thinking - eg stalking them.
Negative reinforcement in absorption additction model
A personal crisis in someone’s life may lead them to need to escape so they move to a more
Into the intense personal and then the Borderline pathological where addiction can
occur
Removal of negative sit avoiding it
