Parasocial Interaction

In this exploratory study, 191 students at a Deep Southern university were surveyed about their locus of control and use of religious media. Given that this was the first research into the relationship between this personality trait and religious media use, only research questions were advanced on this subject. Questions were raised as to whether internally or externally-oriented individuals would use religious media more extensively, have greater satisfaction with religious media, and be more likely to find these messages credible. Internals were found to gain more from religious media than did externals. Suggestions are made for the improved understanding of locus of control and religious belief. One hypothesis was stated on the indirectly related topic of the effect of a person’s “parasociability” on the intensity of the perceived relationship with media ministers. Based on past research, it was predicted that someone who was highly “parasociable,” would have a stronger parasocial interaction (PSI) relationship than an audience member that was less “parasociable.” Results bore out this prediction.

Negative experiences in the ready-made food sector have changed the way consumers see this sector and led them to turn to natural food. The demand for natural food has led to the emergence of a new sector, and the concept of organic has entered our lives. It can be observed that this concept, which is used to mean producing food by natural methods, is included in studies in various fields in the literature. Today, as the number of social media users and social media phenomena are increasing rapidly, parasocial interaction expresses a one-way and symbolic relationship that followers develop with media figures, and it can guide consumption decisions of the followers. The purpose of this study was to reveal whether the level of parasocial interaction between the influencers and consumers that follow them affects consumer loyalty for organic food. In this sense, preliminary research on organic consumption was carried out, it was found that the largest share in organic food shopping is made by mothers and expectant mothers, and supported by similar findings encountered in the literature, mothers and expectant mothers were selected as the sample group in the study. There was a total of 27 questions in the questionnaire applied, including demographic variables. The relationships between consumer loyalty for organic food, parasocial interaction, and demographic characteristics of the participants were examined. The analyses were performed using the SPSS package program. In the first part of the study, which consisted of two parts, the relevant literature was discussed, and the relationships between concepts were explained. In the second part, research hypotheses were analyzed. According to the results of the study, it was found that as the perception of parasocial interaction among the consumer mothers increases, consumer loyalty for organic food also increases. Differences regarding demographic variables, parasocial interaction, and consumer loyalty for organic food were obtained and interpreted. With the findings obtained, it is considered that the study will be a guide for determining the appropriate influencer, which is one of the biggest challenges for businesses.

This experiment was designed to assess the construct validity of the Rubin, Perse, and Powell (1985) Parasocial Interaction Scale. One group of subjects viewed a situation comedy which “breaks the fourth wall. “The fourth wall is “broken “when characters recognize the existence of the audience by speaking directly to them. A second group viewed the same program with “breaks” edited out. Respondents then filled out an adapted version of the PSI Scale. As hypothesized, subjects viewing the more interactive programming scored significantly higher on the PSI Scale, thus supporting the case for construct validity.

Some types of live streaming platforms allow viewers to purchase virtual gifts and donate them to streamers. In the Greater China area, the purchase and donation of virtual gifts have created a unique ecological system where streamers benefit from splitting earnings with the platforms. This study aims to explore viewers’ motivation to participate in such systems. The concept of parasocial relationships is employed to examine the relationships between these viewers and streamers, whereas social presence theory is used to examine the relationships among viewers. The results of an online survey confirm that social presence moderates the relationships between parasocial relationships and other constructs. Meanwhile, constructs such as enjoyment, loyalty, and trust positively influence the virtual gift donation intention. The findings have both theoretical and practical implications.

Musikcastingshows gehören seit 15 Jahren zu den nachgefragtesten Fernsehformaten und sind daher nicht nur für die beteiligten Fernsehsender von hohem Interesse, sondern insbesondere auch für die beteiligten Musikkonzerne, die Musiktalente über solche Shows kostengünstig entdecken, aufbauen und promoten können. Das neue Format The Voice of Germany hat eine Debatte über Qualitäts- unterschiede der Formate angestoßen. Aber nehmen die jungen Zuschauerinnen und Zuschauer überhaupt Unterschiede zwischen den Formaten wahr? Und welche Faktoren bei der Rezeption sind für den Erfolg der Formate ausschlaggebend? Um diese Fragen zu beantworten, wurden 230 Personen aus der Zielgruppe von Musikcastingshows zu ihrer Rezeption der beiden erfolgreichsten Formate, The Voice of Germany und Deutschland sucht den Superstar, online befragt. Verschiedene Faktoren, wie wahrgenommene Authentizität und Talent der Kandidaten sowie die parasoziale Beziehung zwischen Zuschauern und den Akteuren sollen untersucht werden, um den Erfolg von Musikcastingshows in Form von Nutzung und Verkauf showeigener Produkte zu erklären. Die Ergebnisse zeigen u. a., dass Unterschiede in der Wahrnehmung bestehen und in diesem Fall The Voice of Germany durchweg authentischer wahrgenommen wird als das Format Deutschland sucht den Superstar, dass beide Formate aber durchaus erfolgreich darin sind, die Zuschauerinnen und Zuschauer umso mehr zum Kauf von Musikprodukten anzuregen, je öfter diese die Sendungen sehen. Der entscheidende Faktor für den Erfolg ist nach den vorliegenden Ergebnissen die Intensität der parasozialen Beziehung mit den Castingshowkandidaten.

Web-mediated communication and interaction, and the use of social media is by now prevalent in most of the world. Up until recently the internet and web standards we were familiar with few years ago has been in rapid development. Communication was up until recently considered a one-sided event, where information could only be read - the term interaction was an unfamiliar notion in the early stages of the internet. At the present stage of this matter, the internet is considered a giant container of shared content that can be accessed by anyone around the world. Nevertheless it is also perceived as a place where people gather in order to interact and collaborate around shared content, which is why websites, with a central idea of interaction and collaboration, have flourished. Furthermore, the internet enables people from around the world, with different cultures, values, languages, interest etc. to get closer - the internet is by definition connecting people. One of the many affordances that is derived from the internet is the notion of community development. It enables virtual gatherings and allows for people to foster communities of interest. An example of a website, whose purpose is to create an environment for people around the world, with common interests within the gaming universe, is the video broadcasting platform Twitch.tv.

######### Purpose #########
As Twitch is a relatively new social media for the gaming community, it is expected that the existing research regarding Twitch is considered rather limited, along with the consumers’ understanding of the media and how Twitch enables fellowship. As a result of the above mentioned this thesis aims to determine how Twitch is perceived by its users, and aims to investigate the underlying cause of its usage. Subsequently, the thesis aims to provide a better understanding how technology on Twitch helps enabling community, interactivity between its members, and sociability. This thesis can in general be viewed as a contribution for a better understanding of the media Twitch.

######### Methodology #########
This thesis is approached from a social perspective and takes stance in the underlying essence of social phenomenology by Albert Schutz and the social construction of reality by Berger & Luckmann. Considering that existing research regarding Twitch is rather limited, this thesis takes an explorative research approach using a mixed methods research methodology. The thesis is conducted with two qualitative methods (netnography & qualitative interviews) that aim to uncover complimentary and more comprehensive knowledge of the research field. Netnography is applied in order to study the aspects of online culture - interaction, behaviour, rules, norms - in streaming communities within Twitch. Furthermore, the purpose of the netnographic data collection method is to provide a general understanding of the Twitch community. Qualitative interviews are applied to provide an in depth understanding from the users perspective. The qualitative interviews are respectively conducted from audience members, as well as one broadcaster’s point of view.

######### Findings #########
The findings in this thesis provide an understanding that Twitch, on the notion of the concept of a community, is perceived as a medium in which activities are dependent on synchronous communication and interaction, hence the keyword live. Furthermore, Twitch consist of different streaming communities, that are attached to different boundaries and cultures, which is why the findings of this thesis indicate diversity in the perception of these communities. However, the findings also suggests that members of the Twitch community are attracted to its streaming communities for different reasons and that these same members have different point of views of their consumption to this media. Boundaries - as mentioned above - e.g. rules, norms, memberships are part of streaming communities and enabled by Twitchs’ functionality. The findings in this thesis provide an understanding that the functionality (technology) of Twitch - depending on the streamers use of it - influences the sense of community and furthermore enables community. This thesis argues regarding the findings that Twitch’ functionality related to interactivity - which is the key essence of community - is of great significance. In this matter, the findings suggest that the functionality allows multiple communication and interaction gateways. As a final result, the findings also show that the audience member of different communities on Twitch build strong parasocial bonds towards the streamers and this social bond is of great significance in terms of the viewer’s willingness to loyally keep watching the streamer.

######### Keywords #########
community, sociability, twitch, gaming, interaction, livestream, broadcaster, spectator, parasocial interaction and relation

The purpose of this research is to increase understanding of Taylor’s six-segment strategy wheel (SSSW) by exploring how message strategy makes use of commenters’ parasocial interactions (PSIs) with social media influencers (SMIs). Recent research findings have concluded that younger viewers often consider PSIs/parasocial relationships (PSRs) to be highly similar to their social interactions/relationships. To understand this phenomenon, the research explores the dynamics of the vaping community, because SMIs are a primary means of product information. Vaping companies use SMIs who are known only to the collective group of like-minded peers to create a loyal audience. The present study uses research from the SSSW and PSIs to understand persuasive cues while watching a video featuring an SMI.

Results of an online survey suggest that heavy binge-watching might be in part socially motivated. Among a sample of US college students, heavy binge-watchers were more likely to be opinion leaders and to experience Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) than regular binge-watchers or non-binge-watchers. They also reported higher levels of parasocial engagement with the shows' characters than other viewers. Contrary to common beliefs, heavy binge-watching did not come at the cost of decreased social engagement. Quite the opposite: heavy binge-watchers reported spending significantly more time in interactions with friends and family on a daily basis than non-binge-watchers. Heavy binge-watching was also modestly associated with a few negative outcomes (loss of sleep and decrease in productivity).

Social media influencers play a significant role in marketing by introducing products to their followers. We investigate how Instagram influencers impact consumer parasocial interaction (PSI) in the relationship between value perception and purchase intention. Whereas customers influence the attractiveness (social and physical) PSI of social media influencers, studies of the effects of luxury purchasing PSI in Thailand are limited. We examine the relationship between PSI and followers of luxury fashion’s value (social, personal, and conspicuous) on social media. We use structural equation modeling to evaluate hypotheses by conducting an online survey with 400 Thai millennial respondents who had experience following influencers on Instagram. The findings indicate that Thai millennials accept Instagram influencers’ PSIs in terms of value perception and motivation to purchase luxury fashion. The attractiveness of influencers initiates the formation of PSI; followers receive value perception and react to purchasing intention from influencers. The concepts were investigated to prove that influencers’ power can encourage followers to mitigate negative consequences by delivering value perceptions on PSI. These findings provided managerial implications for comprehending consumers in the field of digitalization

In this chapter, Meyrowitz analyzes the new sense of intimacy with strangers that has been created by those modern media that simulate the sights and sounds of real-life interactions. This sense of intimacy, drives the attachment to “media friends”—those celebrities, actors, newscasters, politicians, talk show hosts, singers, sports figures, and so on, who become part of an extended network of social ties. Meyrowitz explains how new technologies reduce the distance between us and our media friends, blurring our response to their skills and talents with our response to their personalities. He suggests that the “unreal” relationships with media friends are, ironically, often deeper and longer-lasting than many real-life ties. He then explores these “intimate” relationships to the point of loss and shows how new forms of grief have been developed to cope with the death of media friends.

Researchers across disciplines have been studying the psychology of fans for decades. Seeking to better understand fan behavior and the various factors motivating fans, researchers have studied dozens of variables in hundreds of studies of different fan groups. To date, however, there have been relatively few attempts to integrate this sizable body of work, pulling together findings across from the field to with a broader, more holistic perspective. This book does exactly that, identifying and concisely summarizing research on 28 separate lines of inquiry on the psychology of fans and integrating it all into an empirically-validated model known as the CAPE model. Useful as a textbook for a fandom studies course and as a handbook for fan researchers, this book is essential reading for anyone looking to better understand the state of fan psychology and wanting to conduct their own research exploring the ins and outs of fans of all sorts!

The purpose of this research is to increase understanding of Taylor’s six-segment strategy wheel (SSSW) by exploring how message strategy makes use of commenters’ parasocial interactions (PSIs) with social media influencers (SMIs). Recent research findings have concluded that younger viewers often consider PSIs/parasocial relationships (PSRs) to be highly similar to their social interactions/relationships. To understand this phenomenon, the research explores the dynamics of the vaping community, because SMIs are a primary means of product information. Vaping companies use SMIs who are known only to the collective group of like-minded peers to create a loyal audience. The present study uses research from the SSSW and PSIs to understand persuasive cues while watching a video featuring an SMI.

This research attempted to develop a multidimensional measure of parasocial interaction. A 47‐item questionnaire derived from qualitative responses was submitted to principal components analysis ‐ resulting in a 22‐item, four‐factor Audience Persona Interaction (API) Scale. The four sub‐scales were: Identification with Favorite character, Interest in Favorite character, Group Identification/Interaction, and Favorite Character's Problem Solving Ability. In the initial analysis, the index and it's subscales were found to be very reliable and positively correlated to program exposure level. In an additional construct validity test, mild linear relationships were found between PSI ‐as measured by the API Scale ‐ and viewing level.

This study examined psychological constructs related to the subjective experience of binge-watching serial video content. The results underscore the centrality of transportation in shaping viewers’ perceptions of the binge-watching experience and their bingewatching behaviors. Transportation was positively related to binge-watching frequency and mediated the impact of binge-watching session length on development of parasocial interactions (full mediation) and on binge-watching enjoyment (partial mediation). Ability to experience flow was found to predict the length of a binge-watching session. Other significant relationships were revealed. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, along with suggestions for future research and the possibility of expanding current conceptual views of binge-watching.

It is argued in the cognitive science of religion (CSR) that the empathic ability to ‘mindread’  others  underpins  the  experience  of  supernatural  communication  with gods, ghosts, and spirits. As autism is characterized by mentalizing difficulties, CSR scholars have expected autistic individuals would find supernatural agency incom- prehensible. This thesis however turns the question around: why do autistic individuals  engage  intimately  in  supernatural  relations,  despite  the  social  difficulties they face in everyday life?

The thesis aims to provide new insights on autistic and religious cognition through examination  of  supernatural  descriptions  provided  by  17  young,  high-functioning autistic adults (16–21 years of age) who label themselves as ‘religious’ or ‘spiritual’. The research questions explore: (1) cognitive aspects of experienced interaction with invisible  agents,  compared  with  human  interaction,  (2)  the  prevalence  of  unusual embodied experiences (e.g. feeling touch and seeing visions without external input) and its role in attributions of supernatural agency, and (3) the psychological function of parasocial (fiction-based) interaction in imaginary realms.

This interdisciplinary project draws on work undertaken in the cognitive science of religion, cognitive and critical autism research, and psychological anthropology. Mixed qualitative and quantitative methods are employed to enable a kaleidoscopic outlook on the topics explored, and to promote a dialogue between idiographically and nomothetically oriented scholars. The study provides first-person perspectives on  religious  and  autistic  cognition,  which  is  understood  as  dynamic  interaction between embrained, embodied, encultured and situated input.

It  is  argued  in  Publication  I  that  ‘bodiless’  interaction  facilitates  mentalizing, also in relation to invisible agents, as no cross-modal synchronization of mimicry, body language and intonation is required. Publication II examines the prevalence of unusual, embodied experiences in autism, and it is proposed that supernatural attributions  offer  enchantment  and  sense-making  of  potentially  frightening experiences.  Results  from  Publication  III  suggest  that  imaginary  worlds  and parasocial relations function as ‘simulators’ that autistic individuals use to rehearse social interaction. Publication IV offers  a theoretical  and methodological discus- sion  regarding  the  study  of  atypical  cognition.  Importantly,  this  thesis  illustrates that  these  imaginative  autistic  participants  are  not  drawn  to  supernatural  frameworks  in  spite  of,  but  because  of  the  supernatural  and  parasocial  characters  these provide.

Keywords: autism, religious cognition, supernatural experience, invisible agency, parasocial relations,  embodiment,  bracketed  ethnography,  participatory  autism research, atypical cognition.

Korean Wave entertainment products like K-pop are increasingly enjoyed by worldwide
audiences and acknowledged as part of lived experience through the help of online platform.
Not only making the circulation and distribution of K-pop content easier and faster, social media
also insinuate a possibility for the K-pop celebrity to cultivate, preserve and sustain their
relationship with fans across the world. This study aimed to discover the current circumstances
between the celebrity and fans in the age of social media by examining the fans of K-pop group
BTS using the qualitative approach. In doing so, the study explored two elements that are
considered prominent in influencing the modern fandom practices, the social media dependency
and the notion of parasocial experience. The findings further clarified that the fans indeed
experienced the parasocial effect from the online contents and their dependency toward social
media also strengthened the parasocial occurrence due to the constant exposure of the contents.
This study further validates the notion that social media is becoming a prominent bridge for both
the celebrity and fans to be connected with each other on a seemingly intimate level.

Jean Baudrillard’ın “Tüketim Toplumu” Kavramının Etkilerinden Biri: “Hürrem” Ekonomisi adlı makale çalışmamızda kültür ve onun alt birimi olan popüler kültürün kitle iletişim araçları yoluyla toplum üzerinde yaptığı tüketim odaklı yeniden yapılanma süreci incelenmiştir. Bu yeniden yapılanma sürecinde; bireylerin gerçeklik algısını kurgulanmış bir dünya üzerine yönlendiren Ekme Teorisi, popüler kültür aracılığıyla fazlaca kanıksanan karakterlerle benzeşen “ideal insan”lar ve gerçeğin hipergerçeğe dönüştüğü Simulasyon Kuramı önem arz etmektedir. Tüm bu yeniden yapılanma süreçleri neticesinde bireyler kurgulanmış gerçeğin esareti altına girerek “O” olmak adına, ihtiyaç kavramından öte sahip olup yok etmek temeline dayanan bir tüketim alışkanlığı edinmiştir. Jean Baudrillard tarafından “Tüketim Toplumu” olarak tanımlanan kimliği değişmiş bu toplumların oluşumunda mikro düzeyde televizyon dizilerinin ve dizilerde öne çıkan karakterlerin önemi büyüktür. Günümüzde popüler dizilerde kullanılan ürünler toplumun hemen dikkatini çekmekte ve bu dikkatle aynı paralellikte ürünlerin satışı artmaktadır. Tekstil, yeme-içme, takı, mobilya gibi sektörlerde ve hatta sanatta popüler dizilerin konjonktürel etkileri görülmekte ve firmalarca bu etki iyi bir pazarlama stratejisi olarak kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada da son zamanların en popüler dizisi olan Muhteşem Yüzyıl’ın Jean Baudrillard’ın Tüketim Toplumu üzerindeki etkileri incelenmiştir.

The expanding gaming industry now includes a large group of consumers who watch others play games. On Twitch.tv – the leading platform for gameplay streaming – influencers livestream themselves playing games while viewers watch and interact with them. Previous research suggests that social interaction may be critical for a successful stream but has not studied gameplay streams as Interaction Rituals, a model describing how interaction lead to social motivation. Analysis of four gameplay streams shows how the streamer, through inclusion strategies and active viewer participation, promote viewer engagement in a way that resembles the mechanisms of offline Interaction Rituals. The model, therefore, appears to be useful for understanding how successful gameplay streams draw a returning audience through producing positive social emotions and parasocial attachment to the group.

Approximately 360 undergraduate students in the U.S. and Egypt were surveyed regarding their consumption of music videos, affinity for them, and perception of them as reality. Respondent's parasocial interaction with their favorite music video performers was also assessed. Results showed that Egyptian young adults consume significantly greater amounts of music videos than their American counterparts. A similar effect was noted with Muslims versus Christians. Furthermore, Egyptian students scored significantly higher on all other measures than their U.S. counterparts. Affinity was positively correlated with perceptions of reality, and consumption. PSI showed positive correlations with consumption on overall PSI, and subsets of identification with the favorite persona and interest in favorite persona. Limited correlations were also evident between PSI and affinity on overall PSI, and subsets of problem solving abilities, group identification and interaction, and identification with favorite persona. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Dari pengaruh Hallyu Wave menyebabkan beberapa masalah bagi fans K-pop di Indonesia. Pengalaman buruk K-pop Idol pada saat mengunjungi Indonesia, seperti fans yang mengerumuni, mendorong, menarik, mencakar, hingga menyentuh bagian dada dan bokong sang idol. Hingga ada beberapa idol yang harus di angkat oleh managemennya sendiri karena kerumunan fans yang terlalu banyak (Ajeng, 2017). Peristiwa fanwar atau perang antar fans juga tak luput di kalangan fans K-pop Indonesia. Seperti berita yang dilansir oleh IDN Times bahwa perundungan antar fans sering terjadi di Indonesia (Wardoyo, 2017). Kemudian fenomena saat ada dua fans Indonesia mencoba untuk bunuh diri karena idolnya telah meninggal akibat bunuh diri (Fitriadi, 2017). Baru-baru terjadi perseteruan antara artis Indonesia bernama Anji dengan fans K-pop yang disebutkan oleh Anji bahwa lagunya terdengar mirip dengan salah satu idol K-pop, hingga membuat fans kesal dan membanjiri media sosial Anji dengan komentar pedas sampai menyumpahi Anji (Arifyani, 2018). Dari fenomena-fenomena di atas, dapat dilihat bahwa fans K-Pop di Indonesia telah menggambarkan beberapa karakter yang mengalami Celebrity Worship.

In the present study, we explored the associations between dimensions of parasocial connection and sex differences in connection of anime fans' favorite character. Anime fans listed their favorite anime character and rated dimensions of parasocial connection. Male and female fans did not differ in their choice of either male or female favorite characters. A factor analysis of the dimensions of parasocial connection showed three factors representing identification (identification, wishful identification, self-expansion), romance (romance, sexual attraction), and similarity (background, attitude, identification). In general, fans tended to feel more similar to same-sex (vs. opposite sex) characters. Male fans were more identified with a same-sex (vs. opposite sex) character. Both male and female fans felt greater sexual attraction toward opposite (vs. same-sex) characters. Additionally, female (vs. male) anime fans reported identification and similarity with their favorite character. The results are largely consistent with prior research examining parasocial connections with non-anime media figures. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings, as well as the limitations of the present study, are discussed.

弹幕视频网站是以动画受众为主要群体的社交平台。根据准社会交往的理论框架，本研究通过内容分析法对受众在“哔哩哔哩”弹幕视频网站上的弹幕评论进行分析，以个案的形式来讨论日本动画对受众的影响及受众对动画角色的准社会交往表达。发现在“英雄—反派”为故事叙述结构下的日本动画片中，受众对不同类型角色的态度倾向存在显著差异，弹幕长度会因角色类型的不同而存在显著差异，态度倾向越积极弹幕评论长度越长，准社会表达类型与弹幕评论长度显著相关。本研究不仅对即时状态下的准社会交往测量进行了尝试，同时也为准社会交往及准社会关系的线性发展观点提供了佐证。除此之外，本研究尝试用工具变量的方法讨论了受众互动对受众表达的影响，并为未来的研究提供了可供发展的方向。
      Danmu video sharing sites are most popular social platforms for animations audience. This study traces audiences reactions to Japanese animation personas through the theoretical framework of parasocial interaction. A thematic analysis using content analysis of 293 overlaid comments on Bilibili.tv is conducted. Results indicate that audiences’ attitude tendency and length of comments have significant difference between types of personas in Hero-Villain Japanese animation. Results also indicate a positive relationship between attitude tendency of personas and length of comments and significant correlation between parasocial interaction expression types and length of comments. This study measures the immediate-PSI and its findings support the view of liner progression of parasocial interaction and parasocial relationships. In addition, this study testes the effect of audience interaction on audience expressions by instrumental variable method and advises some directions for further studies.

This article explores affective and immaterial labor on the leading live-streaming platform, Twitch.tv, which boasts over one hundred million regular viewers and two million regular broadcasters. This labor involves digitally mediated outward countenance, including being friendly to viewers, soliciting donations, building parasocial intimacy with spectators, and engaging audiences through humor. We offer an examination of streamers broadcasting as a “character,” which we situate within the context of play becoming work, the labor of performance and acting, and the economic compulsions that shape cultural labor on Twitch. We draw on hundred interviews with professional and aspiring-professional game broadcasters conducted in 2016 and 2017 at gaming events across the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Poland, alongside ethnographic research. This inquiry into the dynamics of digital games and labor underscores the importance of studying live streaming as part of a wider critical investigation of contemporary digital work.

This article examines the role and function of imagination and parasocial (fiction-based) relations among autistic individuals. In interviews with 17 high functioning, autistic young adults describe how they frequently absorb into daydreams, fantasy literature and multiplayer online roleplaying games. These findings diverge from previous cognitive research which suggests that imagination is limited in autistic individuals; a conclusion which is also challenged by scholars in critical autism research. It is suggested that these opposed scholarly views can be bridged analytically and methodologically by separating between interpersonal and intrapersonal imagination, of which only the former, social aspect is affected across the whole autism spectrum.  The results indicate that parasocial relations are used both for pleasure and to cope with adversities, and that imaginary realms serve as optimal autistic spaces for simulating and practicing social interaction. The article moreover provides a comparative discussion on parasocial and supernatural relations.

This study examines the relationship between vloggers and viewers on YouTube and breaks it down into its various subparts in an attempt to reduce the ambiguity that surrounds it. Through participant observation, viewer surveys and interviews with vloggers, this study considers the dynamics of the relationship from both sides, ultimately outlining the motivations behind vlogging and its implications on the millions of viewers who subscribe to it. It seems that there is a turning point in the vlogger- experience wherein the vlogger will reach a threshold of subscribers. At this point the vlogger’s motives evolve with the realisation that vlogging can be lucrative and that vloggers can indeed make a living from their hobby. The result of this seems to be that the once highly-connected relationship the vlogger had with his/her viewers begins to diminish.

Beers Fägersten, Kristy. The role of swearing in creating an online persona: The case of YouTuber PewDiePie. Discourse, Context & Media (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2017.04.002

Abstract
This article is an investigation of the use of English-language swear words by Swedish, non-native speaker PewDiePie in the context of self-recorded, Let’s Play horror videos uploaded to the video-sharing website, YouTube. Situating PewDiePie within the greater media landscape to establish both his success and notoriety, this article addresses the local interpretation of the globalization of English and the use of English swear words in Swedish media. The practice of swearing in the gaming context is discussed, and swearing instances in a selection of three of PewDiePie’s horror game videos are analyzed. The article puts forth the argument that the use of English swear words contributes to the performance of PewDiePie as a specific, online persona, one that is both in line with the context of video gaming and conducive to a para-social relationship, allowing PewDiePie to achieve the overall goals of communicating with his viewers as peers and reducing the social distance between them. The article concludes that PewDiePie’s practice of social swearing not only simulates casual conversation between friends, but actively reduces social distance, creates the illusion of intimacy, and contributes to his unprecedented success on YouTube.

Kitle iletişim araçlarına eleştirel bir açıdan yaklaşıldığında, medyanın erkek egemenliğinde olduğunu ve bu sebeple de ataerkil zihniyeti desteklediğini söylemek mümkündür. Medyanın gücünün sınırsız olduğunu savunan Frankfurt Okulu ve Kültürel Çalışmalar Birmingham Okulu gibi eleştirel yaklaşımlara göre birey, medyada gördüklerini gerçek sanma eğilimdedir. Bu durum kimi zaman bireylerin medya aracılığıyla sunulan içerikleri sorgusuz benimsemesi sonucuna varabilmektedir.
Medya metinlerinde, anaakımın dışında kalanlar diğer bir ifadeyle “öteki”ler yeteri kadar temsil edilmezken, anaakımın içinde kalanlarsa belli başlı stereotipler ve çerçeveler etrafında kurgulanmaktadır. Bu bakış açısından yola çıkarak “Türk Televizyon Dizilerinde Toplumsal Kimliklerin Temsili” konulu çalışma kapsamında yerli televizyon dizilerinde yer alan karakterler analiz edilerek, bunların egemen ideolojiyi ne kadar yansıttıkları, mevcut düzeni ne kadar olumladıkları ve neleri eleştirip kimleri ötekileştirdikleri incelenmiştir.
İçerik analizi yöntemi esas alınarak yapılan bu çalışma, 2011-2012 yayın döneminde reyting ölçümlerine göre en fazla izlenen ilk 5 dizi (Arka Sokaklar, Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman Ki, Fatmagül’ün Suçu Ne?, Adını Feriha Koydum ve Kuzey Güney) üzerinden yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın neticesinde ana hatları ile (a) dizi karakterlerinin egemen ideolojiyi yansıtacak biçimde kurgulandığı, (b) genel kabul görmüş ve/veya görmesi istenilen davranış kalıplarının olumlandığı, (c) toplum ve sistem açısından “öteki” olarak görülen kimliklerin ise olumsuzlanarak göz ardı edildiği bulgulanmıştır

For decades, entertainment scholars have examined audience responses to media personalities. One of the ways in which viewers interact with characters on TV is through developing and maintaining parasocial interactions (PSIs). The goals of the present study are twofold in that it empirically tests PSI as a multidimensional construct (guidance, face-to-face desire, intimacy, and familiarity) and determines the degree to which certain individual difference variables, such as personality, interpersonal needs, and TV motives predict college students’ relationships with media characters across such dimensions. Implications for measuring PSI as a construct and the uses and gratifications of these mediated interactions are discussed.

Diffused audiences sometimes, through their engagement with social media, connect with micro-celebrities in order to make sense of their world. While celebrities may have a paid staff of public relations experts at their beck and call, micro-celebrities have to manage their presence on social media with little or no assistance, which may subject them to the vagaries of their audiences. One of the ways in which audiences demonstrate this sense making process is through their responses to micro-celebrities that break with some social expectation, like micro-celebrities that “sell-out” to commercial interests. There is an expectation that micro-celebrities will present themselves in an authentic and sincere manner, which raises the bar for them and potentially makes their fall from grace steeper, potentially turning fans into haters. This critical analysis is based on case studies of micro-celebrity travelers who rely on social media channels to share their experiences sailing around the world. The study concludes that if the micro-celebrity “sells-out” disparagement may be contained within clusters of the micro-celebrity’s social network. As a micro-celebrity labors to maintain their authenticity and sincerity, there is a greater likelihood for understanding and perhaps forgiveness when the micro-celebrity crosses the proverbial line.

Increased use of artificial intelligence service agents (AISA) has been associated with improvements in AISA service performance. Whilst there is consensus that unique forms of attachment develop between users and AISA that manifest as parasocial relationships (PSRs), the literature is less clear about the AISA service attributes and how they influence PSR and the users' subjective well-being. Based on a dataset collected from 408 virtual assistant users from the US, this research develops and tests a model that can explain how AISA-enabled service influences subjective well-being through the mediating effect of PSR. Findings also indicate significant gender and AISA experience differences in the PSR effect on subjective well-being. This study advances current understanding of AISA in service encounters by investigating the mediating role of PSR in AISA's effect on users' subjective well-being. We also discuss managerial implications for practitioners who are increasingly using AISA for delivering customer service.

Günümüz medyasına geniş bir perspektiften bakıldığında; demokratikleşme yolunda büyük bir adım olarak görülen sosyal medyadaki tüm gelişme ve ilerlemelere rağmen, geleneksel medya kitleleri etkileme gücünü hala elinde bulundurmaktadır. Özellikle orta ve alt gelirli ailelerinin akşam eğlencelerinin büyük bir kısmını oluşturan makro düzeyde televizyon ve mikro düzeyde diziler; kitleleri etkilemenin, dönüştürmenin ve toplumsal yapı mühendisliği yapmanın temel araçları arasında yer almaktadır. Dizilerde işlenen aşk ve aile temaları ekseninde cinsellik, yasak aşk, aldatma gibi davranış kalıpları normalize edilerek, toplumsal değerler ve mahremiyet algısı değişime uğratılmaktadır. Bu değişimde izleyicilerin televizyon karakterleri ile parasosyal ilişkiye girmeleri etkin bir faktördür. Bu bağlamda 2013-2014 yayın döneminin son haftasını oluşturan 09-13 Eylül 2013 tarihlerinde yayınlanan dizilerden rastgele seçilen 5 tanesi içerik analizine tabi tutulmuş ve aile yapılarının, ahlaki değerlerin, cinsellik ve mahremiyetin nasıl yansıtıldığı incelenmiştir.

Fans merupakan konsumen yang setia terhadap idola. Kesetiaan tersebut dapat berwujud dalam komitmen untuk menyukai idola tertentu dan melakukan tindakan yang mewujudukan rasa suka terhadap idola, semisal mendatangi konser atau membeli cinderamata beratribut idola. Ada kalanya idola harus terhenti penampilannya di industri media, baik karena tutup usia atau idola memutuskan untuk mengakhiri karirnya di industri tersebut. JKT48 dipilih oleh peneliti karena memiliki suatu keunikan, yaitu graduation, dimana hal tersebut merupakan akhir karir seorang anggota JKT48 bersama tim yang membesarkan namanya sebagai idola sekaligus berakhirnya hubungan fans-idola yang dijalani. Graduation seorang anggota JKT48 diduga memberikan kesan yang mendalam, khususnya bagi para fansnya. Penelitian ini mencoba melihat kaitan antara consumer devotion dan reaksi atas putus hubungan parasosial pada fans JKT48.
Lima puluh dua orang fans dari ketiga anggota JKT48 yang menyatakan graduation di tahun 2014 mengikuti penelitian ini secara lengkap. Partisipan mengisi sembilan item skala consumer devotion (α = 0,837) dan delapan item skala reaksi atas putus hubungan parasosial (α = 0,866) melalui media daring. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah consumer devotion merupakan prediktor yang signifikan bagi reaksi atas putus hubungan parasosial. Penjelasan atas hasil tersebut dibahas dalam bagian diskusi.

Medya ve kültür emperyalizmine ilişkin çalışmaların ana
eksenini Amerika Birleşik Devletleri (ABD) ve ona bağlı hakim
ideolojinin dünya genelinde neden olduğu küresel tahribatlar
şekillendirse de özellikle COVID-19 küresel salgını ile birlikte
‘süper güç’ metaforunun taşıdığı kırılgan ve değişken anlamlar,
gözlerin Uzak Doğu’ya çevrilmesine neden olmuştur. Çoğu kez
akademik çevrelerdeki bir uzmanlık alanı olarak öne çıkmasına
karşın, son yıllarda yakaladığı popülariteyle birlikte geniş kesimlerin
ilgisini çekmeye başlayan Uzak Doğu üç güçlü ülkeye
ev sahipliği yapmaktadır.