| The aim of the present investigation was to examine the nature of individuals' parasocial relationships (one-sided attachments to media figures, Horton & Wohl, 1956). Five studies were designed to assess the prevalence and strength of individuals' attachments to their favorite television characters, manipulate exposure to the character or control targets, and assess outcomes previously associated with a conspecific audiences or real-life friends. Our initial studies using multiple student samples and one nationally representative sample revealed that parasocial attachments are both relatively prevalent and are formed, at least in part, in service to belonging needs (Studies 1a and 1b). Using a social facilitation paradigm, Study 2 demonstrated that in comparison to a control image, an image of an attachment figure behaved as if it were a conspecific by facilitating performance on well-learned tasks and inhibiting performance on novel tasks. In Study 3, subliminal priming of a parasocial attachment figure encouraged greater desire to self-disclose and greater feelings of empathy than a control prime, to the extent participants were strongly attached. Similarly, in Study 4, subliminal priming of an attachment figure appeared to potentially buffer participants from the cognitive consequences of rejection among those with strong attachments, although these effects were different from both positive non-social primes as well as real-world friend primes. Finally, in Study 5, participants were exposed to their own parasocial attachment figure or a control target before and after completing a difficult task. Assessments of participants' physiological reactivity to the task revealed that among participants exposed to their attachment figure, those with strong attachments maintained their initial blood pressure levels whereas control participants' blood pressure decreased over time. Altogether, these studies suggest that (1) parasocial attachments are common and partially motivated by belonging needs, (2) regardless of attachment strength, favorite television characters act like conspecifics, and (3) strong parasocial attachments may resemble real friends. |
