TY - JOUR
T1 - Reconceptualizing address in television programming
T2 - The effect of address and affective empathy on viewer experience of parasocial interaction
AU - Cummins, R. Glenn
AU - Cui, Boni
PY - 2014/8
Y1 - 2014/8
N2 - Much scholarship has examined the parasocial bonds between audiences and media personalities. However, recent research differentiated between the development of parasocial relationships and the actual experience of parasocial interaction (EPSI) that can result from structural elements of a message such as style of address (Hartmann and Goldhoorn, 2011). This study presents an alternate conceptualization of style of address and employs an online assessment to examine its impact on the EPSI. Results indicated that bodily address, where the onscreen performer could be seen speaking to the viewer, fostered a stronger sense of interaction relative to verbal or no address. Moreover, emotional contagion, an affective component of empathy, likewise facilitated these perceived interactions, most strongly in response to bodily address.
AB - Much scholarship has examined the parasocial bonds between audiences and media personalities. However, recent research differentiated between the development of parasocial relationships and the actual experience of parasocial interaction (EPSI) that can result from structural elements of a message such as style of address (Hartmann and Goldhoorn, 2011). This study presents an alternate conceptualization of style of address and employs an online assessment to examine its impact on the EPSI. Results indicated that bodily address, where the onscreen performer could be seen speaking to the viewer, fostered a stronger sense of interaction relative to verbal or no address. Moreover, emotional contagion, an affective component of empathy, likewise facilitated these perceived interactions, most strongly in response to bodily address.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84905591878&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jcom.12076
DO - 10.1111/jcom.12076
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84905591878
VL - 64
SP - 723
EP - 742
JO - Journal of Communication
JF - Journal of Communication
SN - 0021-9916
IS - 4
ER -