Topic 5- Parasocial Relationships

Question 1

What is a Parasocial relationship?

Answer 1

1) Described as those which are one-sided.
2) Horton and Wohl –> Target individual is unaware of the existence of the person who created the relationship..
3) May occur with any dynamic which elevates someone above the population in community, making it difficult for genuine interactions, this could be anyone from fictitious characters to teacher

Question 2

Celebrity attitude scale

Answer 2

• Maltby et al –> Used the celebrity attitude scale (McCutcheon et al) in a large scale survey and classified responses into three levels of behaviours and beliefs linked to relationships with celebrities
  1) Entertainment Social –> Least extreme, celebrities as a source of entertainment and may speak about them often with like-minded friends.
  2) Intense-Personal relationship occur when people connect aspects aspects of celebrity to their identity, may have strong feelings that they should have a real life relationships with the celebrity and believe they share a kindship
  3) Borderline pathological relationships are used to describe the actions of someone who displays obsessive behaviours relating to a celebrity. –> May invest a large number of resources in meeting or attempting to befriend the celebrity, for example sending personal gifts.

Question 3

Attachment Theory Explanation

Answer 3

1) Bowlby –> theory of attachment suggests that those who do not have a secure attachment earlier in life will have emotional difficulties and attachment disorders when they grow up.
2) Parasocial relationships are often associated with teenagers and young adults who may have had less genuine relationships to build an internal working model

Question 4

The absorption- Addiction model

Answer 4

McCutcheon –> Proposed that parasocial relationship form due to deficiencies in people’s lives. They look for relationships to escape