A new study appearing in the journal Personal Relationships shows how a "connection" to a celebrity (known as a parasocial relationship) can allow people with low-self esteem to view themselves more positively. For many people, the admiration of celebrities can have some important benefits, say Jaye L. Derrick and Shira Gabriel of the University at Buffalo and State University of New York. They contend that parasocial relationships can provide a safe route for people who have a difficult time with real interpersonal relationships. People with low self-esteem can use their parasocial relationships to feel closer to the ideals they hold for themselves.
The researchers conducted three studies involving undergraduate university students as subjects. Participants identified their favorite celebrity and described that celebrity in an open-ended essay. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to assess global self-evaluations.
The results showed that people with low self-esteem saw their favorite celebrities as very similar to their ideal selves. Low self-esteem people primed with their favorite celebrity felt more similar to their ideal selves than low self-esteem people primed with a control celebrity. Also, people with low self-esteem primed with their favorite celebrity felt more similar to their ideal selves than low self-esteem people primed with a close relationship partner.
"We found that parasocial relationships can sometimes have benefits for people with low-self esteem that 'real' relationships do not," concluded the researchers.
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Source: Personal Relationships
