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A Distant Ally?: Mortality Salience and Parasocial Attachment
Lucas A Keefer1, Faith L Brown1, Zachary K Rothschild2
1University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
Omega
|April 18, 2022
Summary
Strong parasocial relationships, like those with media figures, do not buffer against death anxiety. Instead, individuals with strong parasocial attachments showed heightened defensive responses to mortality reminders, suggesting potential vulnerability.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Media Psychology
Background:
- Terror Management Theory posits that close interpersonal relationships buffer existential threats from mortality awareness.
- Parasocial relationships, or one-sided connections with media figures, share psychological mechanisms with interpersonal relationships.
- It remains unclear if parasocial relationships offer similar existential benefits regarding mortality concerns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether strong parasocial attachments mitigate defensive reactions to mortality reminders.
- To examine if parasocial relationships provide the same existential buffer as interpersonal relationships.
Main Methods:
- Participants with varying strengths of parasocial attachments were exposed to a mortality salience prime.
- Defensive reactions to the mortality prime were measured.
Main Results:
- Individuals reporting stronger parasocial attachments exhibited more pronounced defensive responses to mortality reminders.
- This suggests parasocial relationships may not provide the same existential comfort as human relationships.
Conclusions:
- Parasocial relationships may not buffer individuals from death anxiety.
- Heightened parasocial attachment could indicate underlying existential vulnerability rather than a coping mechanism.
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