Relationships: topic 10 ‘parasocial relationships’ Flashcards
(17 cards)
what are para social relationships?
- para social relationships are one-sided, on reciprocal relationships whereby an individual is attracted to another person (usually a celebrity) who is unaware of their existence
what is the absorption-addiction model? who proposed it?
- the absorption-addiction model proposed by mccutcheon is an explanation of para social relationships
- it argues that when people have perceived deficiencies in their own lives, such as lack of fulfilment in their everyday relationships, they can become preoccupied with a celebrity and identify with them in order to achieve this sense of fulfilment (absorption)
- If the individual feels they need to sustain their commitment to the relationship by feeling stronger and closer involvement, this can lead to more extreme behaviours and delusional thinking (addiction)
what are the three levels of para social relationships?
- entertainment-social, intense-personal, borderline-pathological
what is meant by entertainment-social?
- this is the least intense level of celebrity worship where fans are attracted to a favourite celebrity and will learn about and keep up with them for the purpose of entertainment and gossip
what is meant by intense-personal?
- this is the intermediate level which reflects a greater sense of personal involvement with the celebrity
- an individual may have frequent obsessive thoughts and intense feelings about them
what is meant by borderline-pathological?
- the strongest level of celebrity worship characterised by uncontrollable fantasies and extreme behaviours
- this might include spending large sums of money on a celebrity related object
how does an individual work through the three levels to develop a para social relationship?
- according to the absorption addiction model, someone who initially has an entertainment-social orientation to a celebrity may become more intensely involved due to a personal crisis or stressful life event
- here, the motivating forces driving the increased absorption may eventually become addictive, leading the person to more extreme behaviours and delusional thinking in order to sustain feelings, satisfaction and fulfilment gain from the para social relationship
strengths of absorption-addiction model
P - support for the absorption addiction model of para social relationships comes from maltby
E/E - they found that 14-16 year old female females who had poor body image also reported an intense personal para social relationship with a female celebrity whose body shape they admired
L - this is positive as it supports the prediction that there is a correlation between the level (type and intensity) of celebrity worship and perceived deficiencies in their own lives
P - research address the absorption addiction model is universal
E - researchers studied fans’ feelings towards Harry Potter in Germany (an individualistic culture that emphasises the needs of the individual of the group) and Mexico (a collectivist culture where the reverse is true)
E - they found that fans in both countries had very similar patterns of para social relationships with Harry Potter regardless of their cultural norms and values
L - this suggests the model is universal and accurately reflects para social relationships for a wide range of people across cultures
what is the attachment theory explanation of para social relationships?
- The attachment theory explanation argues that an individuals willingness to form a para social relationship with a celebrity is related to that attachment beliefs and that attachment difficulties in early childhood me and carys are likelihood of para social relationships development
what attachment type does the attachment theory explanation say is the most likely to form para social relationships and why?
- attachment theory suggests that people who formed an insecure resistance attachment with their main caregiver drawing infancy are most likely to develop para social relationships compared to other attachment types
- this is because they need to have unfulfilled needs met, but in a relationship that is not accompanied by the threat of rejection, break up and disappointment that in real life relationships bring
what attachment type does the attachment theory explanation say is the least likely to form para social relationships and why?
- insecure avoidant attachment types were the least likely to enter into para social relationships as they find it difficult to develop intimate relationships and so avoid both real life and imagined intimacy
what attachment type does the attachment theory explanation say is the most likely to form real relationships and least likely to form parasocial relationships and why?
- secure attachment types are the most likely to engage in real relationships and are less interested in celebrities because they do not have an unfulfilled need for attachment
how does proximity seeking play a role in forming para social relationships?
- proximity seeking may occur whereby individuals attempt to reduce the distance between themselves and the attachment figure (eg contacting a celebrity through fan letters or in person)
how does separation anxiety play a role in para social relationships?
- separation anxiety may be evident when individuals have a severe emotional reaction to a celebrity being axed from a TV program or when a series they star in comes to an end
strengths of the attachment theory explanation of para social relationships
P - evidence to support the attachment type theory to explain parasocial relationships comes from mccutcheon
E/E - measured attraction to celebrities and found that adults with insecure attachment types had positive attitudes towards obsessive behaviours and stalking, and also that pathological attachment types have tendency to stalk implying that stalking behaviour is related to childhood attachment patterns
L - support the idea of specific attachment types being most likely to develop para social relationships
P - further research support from cole and leets
E/E - found that adolescents with insecure resistant attachment were more likely to have para social relationships with television media personal personalities and those with secure and insecure avoidant attachments
L - support the idea that those with insecure resistant attachments are more attracted to para social relationships and therefore strengthening the attachment theory
limitations of the attachment theory explanation of para social relationships
P - other studies have contradicted the attachment theory
E - mccutcheon measured attachment types and celebrity related attitudes in participants
E - researchers found that the participants with insecure attachments were no more likely to form para social relationships with celebrities than those participants with secure attachments
L - this finding fails to support a central prediction of the attachment theory, raising doubts about the validity of this explanation
limitations of both explanations of para social relationships
P - another weakness of all theories of para social relationships is that it may be based on flawed research
E - this means that research into para social relationships have generally used self report techniques such as questionnaires where participants may have tried to present themselves in a more positive light (social desirability bias)
E - for example not being entirely honest about their thoughts and feelings towards the celebrity
L - this is problematic as this costs doubt over the validity of the research findings
P - much of the para social relationship research uses correlational data
E - the research can only establish a relationship between two co-variables but cannot say that one co-variable caused the change in the other
E - for example, just because they are linked does not necessarily mean attachment type cause the para social relationship or that perceived deficiencies caused the fan worship
L - this is a problem as explanations of factors affecting attraction may be misleading
