Parasocial Experiences

Abstract In describing parasocial experience, social relationships versus parasocial relationships are addressed, not as a dichotomy but, rather, as a continuum. Some relationships are fully social and reciprocated, and some are purely parasocial and non-reciprocated. But there are many instances in which relationships exist in a gray area that fits neither one category nor the other. Examples of this are given before the extended discussion of prominent theories in psychology and how they should be applied to parasocial theory. Discussed is psychoanalytic theory and the role of the unconscious in parasocial relationships. This is followed by applications of evolutionary psychology, attachment theory, and how the inborn tendency to be attracted to familiar faces and voices is a precursor to parasocial attachment—the finding of comfort in the proximity (virtual or actual) of the parasocial object. The effects of social media on parasocial relationships are discussed, and a very new social media service, Cameo, is introduced, with its implications for parasocial interaction explored in some depth. Alternative theoretical concepts in audience studies are described as corollaries to parasocial theory. Para-communication and parasocial perception are two concepts that bring the celebrity object (when the object of parasocial relationships is a real person) into the equation with an emphasis previously missing in the literature on parasocial theory. The book then discusses the types of research methods that each author has employed throughout the years in parasocial theory and fan studies.