Our investigation got about three big seeks: (1) to look at adolescents’ different choices for mass media numbers and you will famous people to own parasocial attract, (2) to explore this new prevalence and you may construal regarding PSR within the a teen take to, and (3) to determine if gender differences emerged inside the teenage parasocial techniques. In terms of adolescents’ selections of media numbers and you may famous people, i hypothesized you to highly outstanding stars, for example actors and you will musicians, might possibly be appear to mentioned, with straight down prices away from affirmation to possess non-visual superstars otherwise inactive media data. I and asked telecommunications ranging from types of superstar picked therefore the services adolescents associated with the them, because very obvious celebs might be of this appearance, while players and you can non-writers and singers could be appreciated due to their speciality. For PSR, we questioned puberty exactly who engaged in PSR so you can statement way more hierarchical than egalitarian relationships, but towards extent you to definitely type looked, we expected hierarchical PSR getting from the enjoy regarding an excellent celebrity’s skill and egalitarian PSR to get for the appearance. I and expected PSR become with the higher involvement, power, and you will funding during the parasocial situations. As for gender distinctions, i requested greater acceptance off players among boys and you may performers certainly girls, large rates from wedding, intensity, and you will PSR within the girls than just boys, and also for boys to know their stars due to their speciality a whole lot more commonly than girls. Lastly, we expected girls getting alot more individual about their parasocial situations than boys.
People
The initial sample was 107 girls (Mage = , SD = 0.35) and 61 boys (Mage = , SD = 0.42) in ninth grade at a public high school in a US Northeastern suburb. However, seven girls (6.5%) and eight boys (13.1%) did not identify a celebrity of whom they were particularly fond, so the final sample included 100 girls (Mage = , SD = 0.35) and 53 boys (Mage = , SD = 0.38). This ratio reflects the gender ratios in much of the research on PSI (Cohen, 1999, 2003, 2004; Cole and Leets, 1999; Maltby et al., 2006; Derrick et al., 2008, 2009). Adolescents were 73% Caucasian, 12% Asian, 8% Biracial, 2% Latino, 2% African-American, and 1% Native-American (2% chose “Other” or did not respond), and approximately 75% had at least one parent who had graduated college. Participation (72.3%) was solicited through a letter and consent form sent to parents through the school. Participants received a $5 gift certificate for ice cream, and the school received a donation. This study was carried out with the approval of and in accordance with the recommendations of the Wellesley College Ethics Review Board with written informed consent from parents and assent from all participants in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Tips
A survey handled areas of (PSI/PSR) in addition to identification out-of celebrities picked to have parasocial attract therefore the assortment and version in quasi-relationships thought with the famous people. We examined if or not celebrity vocation or dating envisioned have been pertaining to the features teens admired inside their chose famous people, as well as psychological and you will behavioral manifestations out-of PSI/PSR, for example participants’ number of involvement in the parasocial facts, new mental intensity of the action, the hard work in finding away regarding their chose celebs, and you may if they mutual their attention during these media figures which have family and friends. People was indeed first expected to identify a same-sex star away from exactly who these people were such fond (“Most teenage girls/boys features a prominent star japon Гјcretsiz arkadaЕџlД±k sitesi otherwise a well known profile from Tv, film, otherwise pop music society: and this Women/Men Superstar could you be instance attracted to?”). grams., Derrick et al., 2008).
Celebrity Variety of
Media numbers named was in fact categorized on the five superstar models: step one = actors, 2 = players, step 3 = vocalists, 4 = general celebs (e.grams., speak tell you server Oprah), and 5 = publishers. Famous people that fit with the several kinds (elizabeth.grams., Oprah is also an actress) was indeed coded with regards to the class which these people were most readily useful known. Two separate coders scored every solutions; precision is actually highest (kappa = 0.92). Disagreements were solved by the discussion.