Theories of romantic relationships: Parasocial relationships Flashcards
A01
define parasocial relationships (PR)
PR is a one sided relationship where one of partners is unaware that relationship exists
PR tends to be focused on someone who is famous or well know e.g pop star
A01
Outline levels of parasocial relationships
McCutcheon
McCutcheon et al. (2002) established the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS), identifying 3 levels of parasocial relationships:
* Entertainment social
* Intense-personal
* Borederline-pathological
each level describes the attitudes & behaviours linked to extreme forms of celebrity worship
A01
1 Outline entertainment social
Least intense level of celebrity worship-celebrities are viewed as source of entertainment & fuel for social interaction, where celebrity provides diverting gossip & social bonding
A01
2 Outline intense personal
The intermediate level which reflects a greater personal involvement in PR with a celebrity involving frequent thoughts & daydreams about them
A01
3 Borederline pathological
Strongest level of celebrity worship, featuring uncontrollable fantasies & extreme behaviours
A01
The absorption addiction model
The absorption addiction model describes unhealthy toxic level of obsession ppl may succumb to their star worship
* McCutcheon explains tendancy to form PR in terms of deficiencies people have in their own lives, e.g may have a weak sense of self identity & lack fulfillment in their current relationships
* a parasocial relationship allows them to ‘escape from reality’ or way of finding fullfillment they lack in their current relationship
2 components of absorption addiction model
* absorption -involves seeking fulfillment in a celebrity worship by focus their attention on celebrity & be preoccupied with their existance & identify with them
- addiction- aspect of model indicates the individual’s need to increase the intensity & commitment of their PR through increasingly pathological behaviours
A01
The attachment theory explanation
Theres tendancy to form PR in adolescent & adulthood because of attachment difficulties in early childhood
Bowlbly suggested early difficulties in forming attachments may lead to emotional struggles
Ainsworth identified 2 types of attachment types associated more likely to form PR
* insecure avoidant-types prefer to avoid pain & rejection of relationship altogether whether social or parasocial
* insecure resistant-types more likely to form PR as adults because need to have unfulfilled needs met, but in a relationship thats not accompanied by threat of rejection, break up
idea is lack of care, nurture inchildhood may lead someone feeling that close personal relationships are fraught with difficulties-so seek a PR who cannot cause them any pain
A03
Problems with attachment theory-McCutcheon et al-secure just as likely as insecure to form PR
Limitation
McCutcheon et al measured attachment type & celebrity related attitudes in 299 p
researchers found that p with insecure attachments were no more likely to form PR than p with securely attachments
findings fail to support central prediction of attachment theory -lacks validity
A03
Research into PR has useful applications.-link to personality maltby
Strength
Maltby (2003) linked types of personality (extravert, psychotic and neurotic) to levels of PR
* found extraverts were more likely to be at entertainment-social level,
* neurotics at intense-personal level
* psychotics at borderline-pathological level,
supporting absorption-addiction model.
suggests research into PR can be used to improve professionals’ understanding of psychological disorders & help people struggling with psychological disorders.
A03
Self report & raises ethical issues
Limitation
Research in PR uses self reporting methods thus suffer from social desriability bias
asking ppl about PR potentially embarrasing as requires p to disclose sensitive info , ethics may be comprimised as a result
