Assessing Parasocial Interactions and Relationships in Real Time

Parasocial interaction and parasocial relationships refer to the connections people form with media characters, particularly through watching television. Transportation is a term used to explain narrative absorption. These concepts have been studied extensively in communication, particularly in laboratory settings. However, the influx of technology has changed teh ways in which people watch TV. The two studies presented in this work encompass both old and new methodologies for studying parasocial interaction, capturing data on both parasocial interaction and parasocial relationships. In Study 1, participants use the social networking site Twitter to log their thoughts while watching an unfamiliar television show. In Study 2, more traditional laboratory methods were employed, using more common thought listing techniques. Participants in both studies filled out measures of parasocial interaction in survey data collected after viewing periods. PSR was found to have no relationship to thought sharing, whereas transportation was found to be positively related to the amount of thoughts shared during a narrative. Additionally, multitasking was found to significantly negatively affect the development of PSI and transportation, while enjoyment was higher when participants simultaneously used multiple media.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication

Grantor dc:publisher

The Ohio State University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Jones, Kaitlyn A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• McDonald, Daniel

• Communication

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366239676

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1366239676