Till Death Do Us Part: Analyzing the Impact of Multiple Moral Violations on Parasocial Relationship Boundary Conditions

<p>This study examined how transgression frequency and severity, parasocial relationships (PSRs), and personal perceptions of celebrities influence viewers' responses to morally ambiguous characters. Utilizing a mixed between-within subjects design, the research explored their impact on moral disengagement, PSRs, character identification, and narrative enjoyment. Findings revealed that person perception of a celebrity significantly influenced all dependent variables—viewers with a favorable perception of the celebrity reported stronger PSRs, greater identification with the character, higher levels of moral disengagement, and enhanced narrative enjoyment. This outcome suggests that person perception of the celebrity should be a variable that is accounted for when researching media psychology and should not be mistaken for a parasocial relationship. Results also found that obtaining a PSR with the celebrity can indirectly result in higher moral disengagement through also obtaining a PSR with their character. This finding suggests that positive perceptions of a celebrity can provide an indirect pathway to enjoy morally ambiguous content, extending the principles of Affective Disposition Theory.</p> <p>While transgression frequency negatively impacted PSRs and character identification, it did not significantly affect moral disengagement or narrative enjoyment. Participants were more likely to justify minor transgressions up to a certain PSR threshold, indicating that strong parasocial bonds with the celebrity can serve as a buffer against perceived immoral behavior.</p> <p>Furthermore, the interaction between transgression severity and frequency revealed that participants were more inclined to justify repeated minor transgressions than major ones, often through mechanisms of moral disengagement. Notably, narrative enjoyment remained stable across all conditions, suggesting that viewers do not need to morally justify immoral behavior to enjoy morally ambiguous content. Together, these findings underscore the nuanced interplay between character behavior, celebrity perception, and viewer engagement in shaping moral and emotional responses to media narratives.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• Downey, Sarah E

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster
• Dr Jennifer Bevan
• Dr. Sophie Janicke-Bowles
• Paul Gulino

• Parasocial relationships
• Affective Disposition Theory
• Moral Disengagement
• Character Identification
• Narrative Enjoyment
• Taylor Swift
• Communication

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/communication_dissertations/15

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.chapman.edu:communication_dissertations-1014