Parasocial Interaction - Evolution of The Term

Evolution of The Term

The term was first introduced by Donald Horton and Richard Wohl in their widely cited 1956 academic paper, "Mass Communication and Para-social Interaction: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance", published in the Psychiatry journal.

Parasocial interaction has become an increasingly common phenomenon during the latter half of the 20th century, as it is coupled with the growth in popularity of television and film media. They involve a real person on one end, but on the other end can have a real celebrity (talkshow host or famous sport player), an organization (sports team) and/or an entirely fictional character.

Even though such one-way friendships are based on illusion of interaction via television or radio rather than actual social interaction, a bond of intimacy is created and the viewers feel they really know the media character. The viewer is made to believe that the person on the screen is communicating directly to them, even though the other participants—actors or players—have no knowledge or attachment to fans, other than as an aggregation of numbers comprising an audience and their income.

Television executives have actively promoted parasocial relationships, and the celebrities will often engage in the illusion of 'one-on-one' interaction with the audience, for example by addressing them directly. Talk shows for example are a type of a media programme that heavily relies on parasocial interaction. The talk show is such a popular format because of the actual methods used in the program. In particular, the host seeks to establish a sense of "togetherness" with the viewer. Moreover, shows like Ricki Lake have as their goal a sense of reconciliation, contributing to a feeling of solvency and contentment within the viewer. Soap operas are another popular genre. In many ways, the plots of soap operas involved overly romanticized versions of everyday interpersonal activity. Thus, the genre appeals to many as a way to realize a sense of excitement which may be lacking in the interpersonal relationships of the viewer.

Parasocial interaction has been linked to psychological attachment theory and it's consequences have seen the same dramatic effects as real Relationship breakup.

In parasocial interaction there is no "normal" social interaction; it is a very one-sided relation. The knowledgeable side has no direct control over the actions of the side it observes, and it is very difficult for it to contact and influence it.