Understanding the Influence of Parasocial Relationships on Social Anxiety, Loneliness and Well-being

This study investigates the relationship between parasocial relationships (PSR) and loneliness, social anxiety, well-being, self-esteem, independent-interdependent self-construal, and attachment styles. Specifically, it explores whether PSR can positively impact well-being, loneliness, and social anxiety, while examining the potential predictive effects of attachment, self-esteem, and self-construal. A correlational design was used, examining 105 participants who completed an online survey consisting of 8 scales. Three primary hypotheses were tested: (1) PSR would be negatively correlated with social anxiety and loneliness, (2) PSR would be positively correlated with well-being, and (3) PSR would be positively correlated with anxious attachment, low self-esteem, and interdependent self-construal. The results did not support the primary hypotheses. The well-being scale was excluded due to poor internal reliability. However, significant positive correlations emerged between loneliness and the Intimacy and Familiarity subscales of PSR, suggesting that lonelier individuals may feel stronger intimacy and familiarity with media figures. The moderation analyses showed that loneliness strongly predicted familiarity for those with low independent self-construal but was non-significant for highly independent individuals. Additionally, loneliness negatively predicted self-esteem, while familiarity had a positive effect. Furthermore, moderated mediation analysis examined whether independent self-construal moderates the indirect effect of loneliness on self-esteem through familiarity. At low independence levels, familiarity significantly mediated this relationship. Despite the non-significant findings for the primary hypotheses, the study suggests that PSR, particularly familiarity, may influence self-esteem, especially for individuals with lower independent self-construal. Limitations, including sample size and scale reliability issues, point to the need for larger, more diverse samples and longitudinal studies to further explore the impact of PSRs.