Theorizing Development of Parasocial Engagement

By Riva H. Tukachinsky, Gayle S. Stever. Communication Theory, 2018

143 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The article proposes a theoretical model of the development of parasocial relationships (PSRs) building on Knapp’s model of relationship development. Through synthesis of research across disciplines, the model conceptualizes the relational goals and parasocial interactions (PSIs) specific to the PSR. The model identifies variables that predict engagement at that level, describes the stage’s outcomes/effects, and considers the utility of existing measures to assess these stages. The conceptualization of PSRs as a dynamic process rather than intensity of a monolithic experience offers new directions worthy of empirical examination.

Subfields: Literature and Literary Theory, Social Psychology, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f142ea0f5a2d02bb014645f97ff23d959501a852

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In Literature and Literary Theory

In Social Psychology

Holger Schramm

In Sociology and Political Science

Citations in the corpus

Blind trust? The importance and interplay of parasocial relationships and advertising disclosures in explaining influencers’ persuasive effects on their followers (2021, methodology): “The followers of SMIs had probably reached the third relationship stage (i.e. the intensification stage), which is accompanied by trust and a sense of intimacy, whereas non-followers may have reached only the first relationship stage (i.e. the initiation stage) (Tukachinsky and Stever 2019).”
Parasocial interactions with real and virtual influencers: The role of perceived similarity and human-likeness (2022, background): “…or Twitch are often used by influencers to self-disclose personal information, facilitate high levels of immediacy, and offer impressive substitutes for social interaction—all of which have been shown to predict intense parasocial responses (Kim and Song, 2016; Tukachinsky and Stever, 2019).”