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Health promotion and the mass media
Published in Théodore H. MacDonald, Rethinking Health Promotion, 2012
It is widely believed by lay people, of course, that celebrities have a role to play. Research, as well, has shown empirically that exposure to celebrities through the media can have an important influence on the public’s health-related attitudes, beliefs and behaviour (Brown and Basil 1995). This was reflected in the LA Lakers basketball star ‘Magic’ Johnson’s declaration that he was HIV positive and the extensive use of the declaration to promote HIV/AIDS prevention. Emotional involvement with Magic, through parasocial interaction, was important in mediating persuasive communication and results showed that a celebrity can effectively sanction health-related messages. There is, moreover, evidence to suggest that this celebrity involvement may have a more powerful impact on the public than does exposure to knowledge-based AIDS prevention messages themselves. The agenda setting influence of media coverage of the deaths of Arthur Ashe and Rock Hudson are likely to have contributed to an increase in public concern over HIV/AIDS (Rogers et al 1984; cited in Brown and Basil 1995).
Coevolution between Parasocial Interaction in Digital Media and Social Contact with LGBT People
Published in Journal of Homosexuality, 2021
Sabina Lissitsa, Nonna Kushnirovich
The classic contact hypothesis has stimulated an enormous body of research, validated across diverse settings and social groups (Brown & Hewstone, 2005; Lemmer & Wagner, 2015; McIntyre, Paolini, & Hewstone, 2016; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). The classic hypothesis has since developed into the more sophisticated and integrative intergroup contact theory focusing on different types of contact (Hewstone, 2009). Just as interpersonal interaction can lead to various sorts of interpersonal responses and relationships, parasocial interaction can lead to various forms of parasocial responses and (one-sided) relationships (Schiappa, Gregg, & Hewes, 2005). The parasocial contact hypothesis claims that parasocial contact may engender prejudice reduction, leading to less uncertainty of and deeper perceived intimacy with outgroup members, characterized by development of emotional bonds, affinity, and attraction (Perse & Rubin, 1989). Mediated contact was found particularly effective when individuals have minimal or no direct contact with outgroup members (Fujioka, 1999). In three experiments, Schiappa et al. (2005) found that watching television programs that depicted positive contact of straight people with gay men (Experiments 1 and 2) and with transvestites (Experiment 3) led to lower levels of prejudice toward the respective target group.
Public Response to Suicide News Reports as Reflected in Computerized Text Analysis of Online Reader Comments
Published in Archives of Suicide Research, 2020
G. Rosen, H. Kreiner, Y. Levi-Belz
The higher incidence of negative emotion words for CSR may be interpreted as reflecting parasocial interaction. Parasocial interaction has been defined as a special feeling of bonding of a common person toward a celebrity, characterized by emotions of intimacy, closeness, and admiration (Horton & Wohl, 1956). Studies have shown that parasocial loss evokes feelings of grief, indicating that people who were more parasocially bonded to Robin Williams expressed a greater amount of grief following his suicide than did those feeling less bonded to him (Cohen & Hoffner, 2016). Online platforms help users link together with others who share their affection for a celebrity (Black, 2009; Williams, 2007). In addition, the online environment has emerged as a place for mourning (Feigelman, Gorman, Beal, & Jordan, 2008). Thus, users can utilize online platforms for parasocial grieving, mourning for the loss of the parasocial interaction (Sanderson & Hope Cheong, 2010). Our findings suggest that the public uses the online platform as a legitimate place for grief on the loss of their beloved celebrity.