A team of developmental psychologists conducted a study to investigate the relationship between childhood attachment type and the intensity of parasocial relationships in young adulthood. A sample of 300 university students completed a retrospective attachment style questionnaire to classify them into one of three attachment groups. They also completed a Parasocial Interaction (PSI) Scale to measure the strength of their feelings toward their favorite social media influencer (with scores ranging from 10 to 50, where higher scores indicate a stronger parasocial bond).
The mean scores for each group are shown in the table below:
| Childhood Attachment Classification | Mean Parasocial Interaction (PSI) Score |
|---|---|
| Insecure-Resistant | 42.4 |
| Secure | 21.1 |
| Insecure-Avoidant | 13.8 |
Discuss the attachment theory explanation of parasocial relationships. Refer to the findings of the study described above in your answer.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Relationships with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 70 questions covering Factors affecting attraction, Theories of romantic relationships, Online relationships, and Parasocial relationships, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.