Download pdf
The Influence of Parasocial Relations on Contemporary Chinese Young Women's Idol Worship: A Study on Fan Culture
- 1 Pinghe School
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
With the booming development of socio-economic and Internet technology, social culture has also continued to improve and enrich the times. Fan culture is given a new cultural connotation, and the fans cover the coverage of all sectors of society, which has attracted widespread attention. This study explores the correlation between parasocial relationships and celebrity worship among young Chinese women, utilizing questionnaires to examine how social connections influence celebrity worship behavior and its impact on well-being. The findings reveal a significant association between parasocial connections with celebrities and the level of celebrity worship. Despite potential adverse effects, celebrity worship provides emotional support and fosters a positive outlook on the future through parasocial relationships. The research also delves into the psychological mechanisms underlying the formation of these relationships, emphasizing the role of social media and celebrity culture. Understanding celebrity worship among young Chinese women contributes to our understanding of fan behavior, personal identity development, and the broader socio-cultural context of media and celebrity in contemporary society.
Keywords
Parasocial relations, idol worship, fan culture, contemporary Chinese young women
[1]. Kim, M. (2016). Celebrity worship, parasocial relationship, and social media: A study of Chinese fans’ liking behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 59, 210-217.
[2]. Lee, S. Y., & Lee, D. H. (2018). The impact of celebrity endorsement on consumers’ purchase intention in the context of social media. Psychology & Marketing, 35(5), 395-405.
[3]. Maltby, J., Houran, J., & McCutcheon, L. E. (2003). A clinical interpretation of attitudes and behaviors associated with celebrity worship. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 191(1), 25-29.
[4]. Eastwood, J. B., Frandsen, M., & West, M. B. (2017). Celebrity worship and parasocial relationships: A review of current perspectives and findings. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 34(5), 647-667.
[5]. Dibble, J. L., Hartmann, T., & Rosaen, S. F. (2016). Parasocial interaction and parasocial relationship: Conceptual clarification and a critical assessment of measures. Human Communication Research, 42(1),21-44.
[6]. Bowman, N. D., & Tamborini, R. (2012). The role of parasocial interaction in the cultivation of perceived importance and efficacy in the context of environmental issues. Journal of Communication, 62(6),1041-1060.
[7]. Giles, D. C. (2002). Parasocial interaction: A review of the literature and a model for future research. Media Psychology, 4(3), 279-305.
[8]. Perse, E. M., & Rubin, R. B. (1989). Attribution in social and parasocial relationships. Communication Research, 16(1), 59-77.
[9]. Schmid, H., Klimmt, C., & Nosper, A. (2011). Measuring the development of parasocial relationships. Journal of Media Psychology, 23(2), 70-90.
[10]. Cohen, J., & Weimann, G. (2000). Cultivation revisited: Some genres have some effects on some viewers. Communication Reports, 13(2), 99-114.
Cite this article
Zheng,W. (2024). The Influence of Parasocial Relations on Contemporary Chinese Young Women's Idol Worship: A Study on Fan Culture. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,52,31-35.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
Disclaimer/Publisher's Note
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
About volume
Volume title: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Education Innovation and Philosophical Inquiries
© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who
publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this
series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published
version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial
publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and
during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See
Open access policy for details).