parasocial relationships

Question 1

what is a parasocial relationship?

Answer 1

a one-sided relationship where a person feels a strong emotional connection to somebody unaware of their existence, such as a celebrity

Question 2

what is the absorption - addiction model?

Answer 2

suggests parasocial relationships form because of deficiencies in a person’s life

Question 3

what is meant by absorption?

Answer 3

intense focus on the celebrity to feel closer to them

Question 4

what is meant by addiction?

Answer 4

escalation of behaviour to sustain the relationship, which may involve obsessive or delusional behaviours such as stalking

Question 5

Who invented the 3 levels of celebrity worship?

Answer 5

Giles and Maltby

Question 6

What are the three levels of celebrity worship?

Answer 6

entertainment social
intense personal
borderline pathalogical

Question 7

what is the entertainment social level?

Answer 7

celebrities are viewed as a source of entertainment and social discussion

Question 8

what is meant by intense personal level?

Answer 8

a deeper emotional connection where the celebrity is seen as a ‘soulmate’ - strong interest in personal life

Question 9

what is meant by borderline pathalogical level?

Answer 9

extreme behaviours such as obsessive fantasies, large financial investments, and even illegal behaviours including stalking

Question 10

what is the attachment theory explanation?

Answer 10

bowlby’s theory - individuals with insecure attachment types are more likely to form parasocial relationships

these serve as substitutes for real - life attachments

Question 11

what did hazan and shaver find?

Answer 11

insecure resistant individuals struggle with real life relationships due to clingy behaviour, making PSRs more appealing

Question 12

strengths of parasocial relationships

Answer 12

practical applications - helps understand issues such as loneliness and poor self esteem, enabling better support

universality - cross cultural findings, meaning PSRs are not bound by cultural differences

Question 13

weaknesses of parasocial relationships

Answer 13

correlational research? do PSRs cause poor body image

studies rely on self report methods, can be exaggerated, social desirability, not always valid

portray PSRs as pathological, creating a negative view on human behaviour.