Relationships - 5. Parasocial Relationships: 1. Levels of parasocial relationships Flashcards
Parasocial relationship
A person thinks they are in a relationship with another person whereas the other person doesn’t even know their existence
Example of a parasocial relationship
Me thinking that me and Beyonce are in love
PSR
Parasocial relationship
Why may PSRs be appealing?
Because they make few demands, and the individual doesn’t run the risk of criticism or rejection, as might be the case in a real relationship
Factors that make the formation of PSRs more likely
Attractive
Perceived as similar to us
We perceive them as real
The viewer is lonely and shy
The viewer is female
Who came up with the levels of PSRs?
Maltby et al (2006)
How many levels are there to PSRs and what are they?
3 levels
Entertainment/social
Intense-personal
Borderline pathological
Entertainment/social level of PSRs
Celebrity is a source of entertainment and a topic of light-hearted gossip (“did you see what x did?”)
Intense-personal level of PSRs
More intense relationship with a celebrity, seeing them as a soulmate or have an intense interest in their personal life
Borderline pathological level of PSRs
Worships a celebrity - obsessive fantasies, spending large amounts of money on them
Believes their feelings would be reciprocated by a celebrity if they were to meet
What did Maltby et al use to identify the three levels of PSRs?
The Celebrity Attitudes Scale
What did Maltby et al use to assess the relationships between PSR and personality/mental health?
He used Eysenck’s personality questionnaire (EPQ)
What personality type are the three levels of PSR associated with?
Entertainment/social - extraversion (sociable and lively)
Intense-personal - neuroticism (tense, emotional, moody - linked to depression and anxiety)
Borderline pathological - psychoticism (antisocial and egocentric)
