Our data had about three significant aims: (1) to look at adolescents’ selections of media rates and you can stars having parasocial desire, (2) to understand more about the latest incidence and you will construal away from PSR in a teenager sample, and you can (3) to determine if gender distinctions emerged inside the adolescent parasocial techniques. When it comes to adolescents’ choices of mass media numbers and you may a-listers, we hypothesized one to highly salient celebs, such as actors and designers, could well be frequently stated, which have lower costs away from affirmation having low-aesthetic a-listers otherwise deceased mass media rates. I and requested communication ranging from particular celebrity chosen therefore the qualities teenagers of the them, for the reason that highly visible celebrities would be on the physical appearance, while players and you can non-artists might possibly be liked because of their strengths. To have PSR, we expected puberty exactly who involved with PSR so you’re able to report so much more hierarchical than simply egalitarian dating, however, toward extent one type seemed, we questioned hierarchical PSR become of really love regarding a beneficial celebrity’s skill and egalitarian PSR is for the physical appearance. We together with questioned PSR getting regarding the large wedding, strength, and you will financing during the parasocial factors. For gender differences, we requested deeper affirmation out-of sports athletes certainly one of boys and stars certainly girls, large rates from engagement, power, and PSR when you look at the girls than just boys, as well as boys to know the a-listers for their skills far more often than girls. Lastly, we requested girls to-be far more private regarding their parasocial issues than just boys.
Members
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 Evlilik iГ§in Guams kadД±n 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.
Steps
A study managed areas of (PSI/PSR) and identity off famous people chose to possess parasocial attract additionally the range and you will version in quasi-matchmaking imagined with these celebrities. I examined if superstar vocation otherwise dating envisioned was indeed connected with the advantages teenagers admired within picked a-listers, together with mental and you will behavioural signs out-of PSI/PSR, such as participants’ level of wedding in the parasocial products, the newest emotional concentration of the action, the time and energy to find away regarding their selected a-listers, and you can whether they mutual their interest throughout these media numbers having friends. Users was very first requested to understand an exact same-sex star out-of who they were including happy (“Extremely adolescent girls/boys keeps popular star or a prominent profile off Television, motion picture, or pop music people: which Women/Men Star are you such partial to?”). g., Derrick mais aussi al., 2008).
Celebrity Variety of
Mass media data called were classified towards the five star systems: step one = stars, dos = athletes, step three = vocalists, cuatro = general celebrities (e.grams., chat tell you servers Oprah), and you can 5 = writers. Celebrities that suit to the multiple categories (e.grams., Oprah is additionally an actress) were coded with regards to the classification wherein these were most useful known. Two separate coders obtained all responses; reliability is highest (kappa = 0.92). Disagreements were resolved because of the dialogue.
