Involvement in Parasocial Relationships among Middle-Aged Women

Objective. An empirical study of the correlation between parasocial interacting and satisfaction with personal relationships.
Background. The feeling of emotional connection with media personalities, empathy and identification with them only increases with the popularization of digital technologies and the development of social networks. On the one hand, parasocial relationships have become more common due to the prolonged pandemic and isolation. On the other hand, parasocial relationships can replace real social contacts, which is associated with their accessibility, predictability and illusory control. Despite the fact that sociological and marketing research is being conducted, psychologists do not conduct a large-scale study of this phenomenon.
Study design. The collection of data on socio-demographic characteristics was carried out using an online survey. The involvement in parasocial relationships, the subjective assessment of interpersonal relationships and the severity of the subjective feeling of loneliness were investigated using test methods. A correlation analysis and verification of the reliability of differences in the characteristics of interpersonal relationships among individuals with different involvement in parasocial relationships were carried out.
Participants. Women aged 30 to 44 years old, living in Moscow, Kirov and villages of the Kirov region, with and without a permanent partner. The average age is 38 years, only 80 people.
Measurements. Data collection on socio-demographic characteristics was conducted using an online survey. Involvement with parasocial interaction was studied using the A. Rubin scale (PSI) [4], and the determination of subjective assessment of interpersonal relationships was made using the questionnaire "Subjective Assessment of Interpersonal Relationships" by S.V. Duhnovsky (SOMO) [3]. Determination of the subjective feeling of loneliness was carried out using the methodology of D. Russell and M. Ferguson [11]. Statistical data processing was conducted using the SPSS program. The normality of the distribution was checked using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov criterion. Verification of the validity of the differences was carried out using the Mann-Whitney U-test, correlation analysis was carried out using the Pearson coefficient.
Results. Differences in involvement in parasocial relationships among respondents with different interpersonal disharmony index are not statistically significant. Differences in women's involvement in parasocial relationships, depending on whether they have a permanent partner, are statistically significant at the trend level. Women with a permanent partner have more positive parasocial relationships, and emotional attachment to media personalities is moderate. An analysis of the relationship between involvement in parasocial relationships and a subjective assessment of satisfaction with personal relationships has shown that it is not significant.
Conclusions. Parasocial relationships are inherent in middle-aged women, both satisfied and dissatisfied with their personal lives. Women who feel lonely, as well as those who do not feel lonely, are equally prone to becoming involved in parasocial relationships. Involvement in parasocial relationships is not associated with disharmony of interpersonal relationships, however, at the level of tendency it is associated with a subjective feeling of loneliness. Parasocial relationships are more common for women who do not have a permanent partner than those who have a permanent partner. 

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