As part of a study on online communities, a media psychologist analysed interactions on a Discord server dedicated to a prominent gaming livestreamer, 'Valkyria'.
The psychologist noted that the majority of users engaged by discussing Valkyria's gaming setups, sharing highlights of her weekly streams, and buying co-branded merchandise.
However, a small group of users exhibited a much deeper, obsessive connection. These individuals spent hours every day debating Valkyria's personal life, claimed they felt an 'unbreakable spiritual bond' with her, and expressed intense distress when she took a two-day break from broadcasting. A few even admitted they would gladly spend their entire college savings to help her if she ever fell into financial difficulty.
Using your knowledge of psychological research into parasocial relationships, explain the different levels of celebrity worship shown by the users in the scenario above.
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.