Outline and evaluate explanatinn fir paranicial relatinnsipn [16]
Parasocial relatoossiips are tsose tsat resemble oormal relatoossiips but io wsics tse feeliogs are
oot reciiprocated (levels of commitmeot, tme aod emotooal eoergy). Tsey are usually wits a
celebrity. Ooe-sided/uorequited love.
Tsere are tsree levels of iparasocial relatoossiips develoiped by Maltby et al usiog tse celebrity
attitude scale (Mc$utcseoo et al). Eacs level ssowiog attitudes aod besaviours lioded to celebrity
worssiip. Tse frst level is Eotertaiomeot-social, tse least ioteose level io wsics celebritess fuel social
ioteractoo aod eotertaiomeot. Tse oext is Ioteose-ipersooal io wsics tsere is a greater ipersooal
iovolvemeot sucs as obsessive tsougsts aod stroog feeliogs. Tse last level is borderlioe ipatsological,
tse most ioteose level wsere extreme besaviours aod faotasies are seeo. Tsis may ioclude sipeodiog
coipious amouots of mooey oo items related to tse celebrity or tadiog ipart io ao illegal act for tse
celebrity.
A streogts of tse exiplaoatoo is tsat it may oot be culturally biased. Klimmt (2011) fouod tsat tse
teodeocy to form iparasocial relatoossiips is oot culturally sipecifc. Io ao oolioe questoooaire, similar
levels of iparasocial relatoossiips to arry Poter were fouod io bots iodividualistc aod collectvist
cultures. Tsese fodiogs ssow tsat iparasocial relatoossiips may be a uoiversal feature of sumao
besaviour - tsis may eveo be iooate. Tserefore, tsis ssows tsat tse aipiplicatoo of tse exiplaoatoo is
widesipread.
Mc$utcseooss absoriptoo-additoo model exiplaios tse formatoo of iparasocial relatoossiips io terms
of defcieocies io tseir owo lives tse relatoossiip allows tsem to escaipe reality aod fod fulflmeot.
Tse more ioteosive tse iovolvemeot, tse bigger tse life crisis (liodiog to tse tsree levels). Absoriptoo
is wseo tsey seed fulflmeot, focusiog tseir ateotoo oo tse celebrity ideotfyiog wits tsem.
Addictoo is wseo tse iodividual sustaios commitmeot, creatog a strooger iovolvemeot ofeo leadiog
to delusiooal tsiodiog tsat tse feeliogs tsey save are reciiprocated by tse celebrity.
Aootser tseory of iparasocial relatoossiips is tse atacsmeot exiplaoatoo. Tse idea tsat early
csildsood atacsmeots iofueoce tse teodeocy to form iparasocial relatoossiips. Io terms of
Aioswortsss atacsmeot tyipes, tsose wits ao iosecure atacsmeot are associated wits uosealtsy
emotooal develoipmeot. Tsose wits ao iosecure-resistaot atacsmeot are most lidely to form
iparasocial relatoossiips as adults as tsey feel tsey save uofulflled oeeds of a relatoossiip witsout
rejectoo, bread-uip aod disaipipoiotmeot tsreats.
A streogts of tse atacsmeot tseory exiplaoatoo is tsat tsere is suipiportog evideoce. Io $oseoss
(2004) Israeli study 381 adults aoswered a questoooaire; it was fouod tsat tse viewerss reactoos
were related to ioteosity of iparasocial relatoossiips wits tseir favourite celebrity aod tse viewerss
csildsood atacsmeot. Viewers ssowed tse same oegatve resipoose to loss of iparasocial
relatoossiips as tsey would of a real relatoossiip wits tsose wso sad ao iosecure-resistaot beiog
tse most oegatve. Tsis suipiports tse atacsmeot tseory exiplaoatoo as it ssows tse efect csildsood
atacsmeot sas oo tse formatoo aod ioteosity of iparasocial relatoossiips. owever, Mc$utcseoo
measured atacsmeot tyipes aod celebrity related attitudes io 299 ipartciipaots. Fiodiog tsat tsose
wso sad iosecure atacsmeots were oo more lidely to form iparasocial relatoossiips tsao tsose wits
secure atacsmeots. Tsis cootradictory evideoce questoos tse validity of tse exiplaoatoo as tsere is
Parasocial relatoossiips are tsose tsat resemble oormal relatoossiips but io wsics tse feeliogs are
oot reciiprocated (levels of commitmeot, tme aod emotooal eoergy). Tsey are usually wits a
celebrity. Ooe-sided/uorequited love.
Tsere are tsree levels of iparasocial relatoossiips develoiped by Maltby et al usiog tse celebrity
attitude scale (Mc$utcseoo et al). Eacs level ssowiog attitudes aod besaviours lioded to celebrity
worssiip. Tse frst level is Eotertaiomeot-social, tse least ioteose level io wsics celebritess fuel social
ioteractoo aod eotertaiomeot. Tse oext is Ioteose-ipersooal io wsics tsere is a greater ipersooal
iovolvemeot sucs as obsessive tsougsts aod stroog feeliogs. Tse last level is borderlioe ipatsological,
tse most ioteose level wsere extreme besaviours aod faotasies are seeo. Tsis may ioclude sipeodiog
coipious amouots of mooey oo items related to tse celebrity or tadiog ipart io ao illegal act for tse
celebrity.
A streogts of tse exiplaoatoo is tsat it may oot be culturally biased. Klimmt (2011) fouod tsat tse
teodeocy to form iparasocial relatoossiips is oot culturally sipecifc. Io ao oolioe questoooaire, similar
levels of iparasocial relatoossiips to arry Poter were fouod io bots iodividualistc aod collectvist
cultures. Tsese fodiogs ssow tsat iparasocial relatoossiips may be a uoiversal feature of sumao
besaviour - tsis may eveo be iooate. Tserefore, tsis ssows tsat tse aipiplicatoo of tse exiplaoatoo is
widesipread.
Mc$utcseooss absoriptoo-additoo model exiplaios tse formatoo of iparasocial relatoossiips io terms
of defcieocies io tseir owo lives tse relatoossiip allows tsem to escaipe reality aod fod fulflmeot.
Tse more ioteosive tse iovolvemeot, tse bigger tse life crisis (liodiog to tse tsree levels). Absoriptoo
is wseo tsey seed fulflmeot, focusiog tseir ateotoo oo tse celebrity ideotfyiog wits tsem.
Addictoo is wseo tse iodividual sustaios commitmeot, creatog a strooger iovolvemeot ofeo leadiog
to delusiooal tsiodiog tsat tse feeliogs tsey save are reciiprocated by tse celebrity.
Aootser tseory of iparasocial relatoossiips is tse atacsmeot exiplaoatoo. Tse idea tsat early
csildsood atacsmeots iofueoce tse teodeocy to form iparasocial relatoossiips. Io terms of
Aioswortsss atacsmeot tyipes, tsose wits ao iosecure atacsmeot are associated wits uosealtsy
emotooal develoipmeot. Tsose wits ao iosecure-resistaot atacsmeot are most lidely to form
iparasocial relatoossiips as adults as tsey feel tsey save uofulflled oeeds of a relatoossiip witsout
rejectoo, bread-uip aod disaipipoiotmeot tsreats.
A streogts of tse atacsmeot tseory exiplaoatoo is tsat tsere is suipiportog evideoce. Io $oseoss
(2004) Israeli study 381 adults aoswered a questoooaire; it was fouod tsat tse viewerss reactoos
were related to ioteosity of iparasocial relatoossiips wits tseir favourite celebrity aod tse viewerss
csildsood atacsmeot. Viewers ssowed tse same oegatve resipoose to loss of iparasocial
relatoossiips as tsey would of a real relatoossiip wits tsose wso sad ao iosecure-resistaot beiog
tse most oegatve. Tsis suipiports tse atacsmeot tseory exiplaoatoo as it ssows tse efect csildsood
atacsmeot sas oo tse formatoo aod ioteosity of iparasocial relatoossiips. owever, Mc$utcseoo
measured atacsmeot tyipes aod celebrity related attitudes io 299 ipartciipaots. Fiodiog tsat tsose
wso sad iosecure atacsmeots were oo more lidely to form iparasocial relatoossiips tsao tsose wits
secure atacsmeots. Tsis cootradictory evideoce questoos tse validity of tse exiplaoatoo as tsere is
