From viewers to tourists: Compensation psychology in travel live streaming

Decision letter: A human subcortical network underlying social avoidance revealed by risky economic choices

The purpose of the current article was to explore parasocial phenomena in the unique and interactive context of live streaming. Specifically, the predictors of parasocial interactions (PSIs) and parasocial relationships (PSRs) were compared. In the past, the terms ‘parasocial interaction’ and ‘parasocial relationship’ have been used interchangeably, even though they are distinct constructs – which has confused researchers’ understanding of these phenomena. The current study aims to begin to disentangle our understanding of these two constructs by studying the predictors for each construct separately. An online survey was utilized to collect data on PSRs, PSIs, and various parasocial predictors that fell into three categories: streamer (source) characteristics, viewer characteristics, and behavioral (relationship) characteristics. Results indicate that streamer characteristics were the most important predictors of both PSIs and PSRs in the live streaming context, although characteristics of the viewer and relationship were also influential. These findings indicate that message sources can modify their content to encourage parasocial phenomena in their audience. This is encouraging, as research suggests that parasocial phenomena lead to many positive repercussions for the media and so are generally considered a goal of media personae.

Background: This study explores the association between YouTube usage and the mental health status of Gen-Z, focusing on the roles of social anxiety and parasocial interaction in YouTube addiction. Purpose: To identify the link between social anxiety (LSAS) and parasocial interaction (PSI) and YouTube addiction (IAT), while also evaluating the role of social support (MSPSS). Methods: Data were collected from 380 respondents in Batam City. The measurement tools included the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), LieBowltz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Parasocial Interaction (PSI), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results: Multiple regression analysis revealed that 84.5% of the variability in YouTube addiction can be explained by LSAS, PSI, and MSPSS. The F-test results indicated high significance (F = 681.862, p < 0.05). The t-test showed that LSAS (B = 0.609, t = 11.623, p < 0.0001) and PSI (B = 0.707, t = 6.642, p < 0.0001) had a significant influence on IAT, while MSPSS was not significant (B = 0.067, t = 0.893, p = 0.372). The regression model for IAT was IAT = -2.151 + 0.609LSAS + 0.707PSI + 0.067MSPSS, and for PSI was PSI = -2.715 + 0.517LSAS. Conclusion: Confirm that social anxiety and parasocial interaction significantly affect YouTube addiction, while social support does not show a significant influence. Abstrak Latar Belakang: Penelitian ini mengeksplorasi hubungan penggunaan YouTube dengan kesehatan mental anak-anak Gen-Z, dengan fokus pada peran kecemasan sosial dan interaksi parasosial dalam kecanduan YouTube. Tujuan: untuk mengidentifikasi hubungan antara kecemasan sosial (LSAS) dan interaksi parasosial (PSI) dengan kecanduan YouTube (IAT), serta mengevaluasi peran dukungan sosial (MSPSS). Metode: Data dikumpulkan dari 380 responden di Kota Batam. Alat ukur yang digunakan mencakup Internet Addiction Test (IAT), LieBowltz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Parasocial Interaction (PSI), dan Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Hasil: Analisis regresi berganda mengungkapkan bahwa 84,5% variabilitas kecanduan YouTube dapat dijelaskan oleh LSAS, PSI, dan MSPSS. Hasil uji F menunjukkan signifikansi tinggi (F = 681,862, p < 0,05). Uji t menunjukkan bahwa LSAS (B = 0,609, t = 11,623, p < 0,0001) dan PSI (B = 0,707, t = 6,642, p < 0,0001) memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap IAT, sedangkan MSPSS tidak signifikan (B = 0,067, t = 0,893, p = 0,372). Model regresi untuk IAT adalah IAT = -2,151 + 0,609LSAS + 0,707PSI + 0,067MSPSS, dan untuk PSI adalah PSI = -2,715 + 0,517LSAS. Kesimpulan: Kecemasan sosial dan interaksi parasosial berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kecanduan YouTube, sedangkan dukungan sosial tidak menunjukkan pengaruh signifikan.

Introduction Agricultural live streaming has emerged as a vital channel for rural development, yet limited research examines how new farmer live streamers’ characteristics influence consumer behavior. Guided by the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework and parasocial interaction theory, this study investigates how the characteristics of new farmer live streamers shape consumers’ purchase intention in agricultural e-commerce. Methods Five key streamer characteristics—authenticity, social responsibility, trustworthiness, affinity, and interactivity—were identified through surveys, interviews, and text analyses. Data from 441 valid responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships. Results The findings reveal that authenticity, social responsibility, trustworthiness, and interactivity positively affect purchase intention, whereas affinity shows no significant impact. Parasocial interaction mediates the effects of authenticity, trustworthiness, affinity, and interactivity on purchase intention, but not social responsibility. Additionally, regional cultural differences negatively moderates the relationship between parasocial interaction and purchase intention. Discussion These findings provide actionable implications for stakeholders: governments, agricultural enterprises, and new farmer streamers should cultivate essential streamer characteristics, strengthen parasocial connections, and adapt engagement strategies to regional cultural contexts to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of agricultural live streaming.

The relations between YouTube addiction, social anxiety and parasocial relationships with YouTubers: A moderated-mediation model based on a cognitive-behavioral framework

With the rise in accessibility of media personae and celebrities through social media sites, parasocial relationships (PSRs) can offer a meaningful alternative for individuals who experience obstacles in forming real-life relationships. Existing research suggests that PSRs are multidimensional. Building on this, we considered how social media and social anxiety factors relate to the dimensions of PSRs. We examine whether social media engagement, social media addiction, and social interaction anxiety predict parasocial-love and parasocial-friendship. Participants (N = 239) responded to a questionnaire assessing multiple elements of PSRs, social interaction anxiety, social media engagement, and social media addiction. Results revealed social media addiction to be a significant predictor of parasocial-friendship and emotional aspects of parasocial-love. However, physical aspects of the parasocial-love were predicted by social media engagement. Social interaction anxiety was only associated with aspects of parasocial-love but did not predict this type of PSR. These findings suggest that developing a PSR may be strongly linked to social media use and foster social media addiction, whilst face-to-face social interaction anxiety may be less relevant to PSRs with celebrities. The current results also support the suggestion that PSRs with media personalities are multifaceted.

Brief Form of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI-B) for Adolescents

BackgroundAlong with the rapid development of the Internet, the form of destination marketing is becoming increasingly innovative and diverse. Celebrity endorsement via social media, as an effective marketing strategy, has been widely used by various tourism companies to attract and engage with their customers. Previous studies have investigated the various aspects of such endorsement (e.g. the effect of endorser’s attributes) in different contexts (e.g. Hotel, Restaurant, Airline). However, little research has focused on the influence of the tourists’ parasocial relationship with endorsers on destination marketing. Accordingly, the current study aims to explore the role of parasocial relationships on tourists’ destination attitude and visit intention.MethodThis study adopted quantitative method and conducted Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. 498 valid questionnaires were collected from Weibo (One of China’s most popuar social media platforms).ResultsResults suggested that endorser’s credibility positively influenced follower’s parasocial relationship (p<0.001), which in turn positively influenced destination attitude and visit intention (p<0.001). Additionally, the parasocial relationship significantly mediated the relationship between credibility and destination attitude as well as visit intention (p<0.001).ConclusionThe emerging trend of celerbity endorsement via live-streaming makes tourism destination marketing more diverse and even effective. Through exploring the underlying mechanism of celebrity endorsement, this study can provide destination marketers with insights about how to build and strengthen the tourist’s attitude and visit intention towards destiantion by developing their parasocial relationships with endorsers. This study also adds to the literature of using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in tourism and hospiatlity research.

Finding love in online games: Social interaction, parasocial phenomenon, and in-game purchase intention of female game players

Although much work has focused on non-social personality traits such as activity, exploration, and neophobia, there is a growing appreciation that social personality traits play an important role in group dynamics, disease transmission, and fitness and that social personality traits may be linked to non-social personality traits. These relationships are important because behavioral syndromes, defined here as correlated behavioral phenotypes, can constrain evolutionary responses. However, the strength and direction of relationships between social and non-social personality traits remain unclear. In this project, we examine social and non-social personality traits, and the relationships between them, in the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus. With a novel assay, we identify 5 personality traits, 2 non-social (exploration and activity), and 3 social (aggression, affiliation, and antennation) personality traits. We also find that social and non-social personality traits are phenotypically linked. We find a positive correlation between aggression and activity and a negative correlation between affiliation and activity. We also find a positive correlation between exploration and activity. Our work is an important step in understanding how phenotypic linkage between social and non-social behaviors may influence behavioral evolution. As a burgeoning model system for the study of genetic and neurobiological mechanisms of social behavior, Polistes fuscatus has the potential to add to this work by exploring the causes and consequences of individual behavioral variation.

This study explored the network structural relationships among parasocial relationships, subjective economic status, online social anxiety, and peer loneliness in freshmen (N=385). Gender difference analysis revealed that females scored significantly higher than males in online social anxiety (social recognition anxiety, interaction anxiety, privacy anxiety) and peer loneliness (p&lt;0.05), while males scored significantly higher in parasocial relationships (cognitive, emotional, behavioral dimensions; p&lt;0.01). Further network analysis showed that the emotional dimension of parasocial relationships was negatively correlated with online interaction anxiety (weight = -0.03), and subjective economic status was negatively correlated with social anxiety (weight = -0.06) and peer loneliness (weight = -0.11, more pronounced in females). Social recognition anxiety (e.g., fear of others’ evaluations) emerged as the most central node (highest strength centrality) in the network. This study is the first to integrate uncertainty reduction theory with network analysis, revealing dynamic associations among variables and providing precise intervention targets (e.g., key node interventions) for college students’ mental health. Future research could longitudinally track network evolution or conduct cross-cultural comparisons to validate generalizability.

Video game addiction, a common behavioral problem among college students, has been more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic; at the same time, females' video game usage has also attracted considerable research attention. Against this background and under the perspective of social interaction, this study aimed to examine the relationship between relational victimization and video game addiction among female college students, as well as its underlying mechanism-the mediating roles of social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters. Female college students (N = 437) were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires voluntarily in June 2022. Through the mediating effect analysis, the results found that (1) relational victimization was positively associated with female college students' video game addiction; (2) social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters could independently mediate this relation; (3) social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters were also the serial mediators in this association. These findings not only expand previous studies by revealing the social motivation of video game usage and the underlying mechanism accounting for video game addiction, but also provide basis and guidance for the prevention and intervention of video game addiction in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent years, along with the rapid development of Internet technology and drastic changes in consumption patterns, live streaming commerce has gradually become an emerging business model that attracts the participation of consumers. Based on parasocial interaction and social presence created by live streaming commerce, this study uses SmartPLS software to exam the impact of parasocial interaction and social presence on impulsive purchase in live streaming commerce context. According to an empirical analysis of 407 valid questionnaire data from China through an online survey, consumers’ social anxiety and fear of missing out have a significant positive effect on parasocial interaction, while their narrative involvement has a non-significant effect on parasocial interaction. Social presence has a significantly positive effect on impulsive purchase. Consumers’ narrative involvement and smartphone addiction had a significant positive effect on their social presence. This study extends existing research findings regarding consumer impulsive purchase on live streaming commerce. In addition, this study provides evidence that consumers’ parasocial interaction and social presence mediate the relationship between consumer characteristics and impulsive purchase.

YouTube is a popular social media platform that fosters the development of social bonds between viewers and YouTubers called parasocial relationships (PSR). These relationships might be associated with both viewer characteristics, such as social anxiety, and YouTuber video characteristics, such as self-disclosure. Additionally, PSR might be associated with the level of addiction to the platform. Data from 370 college students were extracted from a previous study and 360 videos of 72 YouTubers were coded to (a) explore the different dimensions of PSR and (b) examine a mediation model of YouTube addiction. The results support the existence of three PSR dimensions. The results also showed that PSR dimensions were associated with both viewers’ social anxiety and YouTubers’ evaluative self-disclosure. One PSR dimension was positively associated with YouTube addiction. This study encourages the development of qualitative studies to more precisely identify the different facets of PSR with social media figures.

The relationship between social anxiety and perfectionism was explored among college students. Although a good deal of research has demonstrated a strong interaction between perfectionism and several forms of psychopathology, extending this research to social anxiety has received less attention. The few studies that have studied this relationship have demonstrated some inconsistent results, specifically finding only correlations between social anxiety and two or three of the six dimensions of perfectionism put forth by Frost et al.'s (1994) Multidimensional Perfectionism Questionnaire. Likewise, previous work has involved only adults in anxiety treatment center locations. This study sought to extend these findings to a non-clinical college student population. In investigating a possible relationship, math and physics majors were compared to communication and music majors on social anxiety and perfectionism measures. The study predicted that high social anxiety traits would predict higher perfectionist traits, and that math and physics majors will experience social anxiety more than music and communication majors. Three research questions were proposed: 1) Are college students with anxiety traits more likely to have perfectionist traits than college students who do not have social anxiety traits? 2) Are social anxiety traits more common among math and physics majors than communication and music majors? 3) Are perfectionist traits more common among math and physics majors than communication and music majors? In answering research question 1: A statistically significant correlation was found between Frost's Overall Perfectionism Score and scores from both the Social Phobia Scale and the Social Interaction Anxiety Score across all groups. In answering research question 2, math and physics majors had statistically significant higher social anxiety scores than music majors, but not with communication majors. Communication majors still experienced less social anxiety than math and physics majors. In answering research question 3, perfectionist traits were generally found to be very similar across all four academic majors. In regards to the impact that the four demographic variables (age, race, gender, and residential status) had on social anxiety score, only the age of the student predicted the level of social anxiety, specifically, the older the student, the lower the levels of social anxiety. Implications for future research, policy change, and clinical practice are explored in the discussion section.