%0 Journal Article
%T Parents¡¯ Perceptions of Their Children¡¯s Parasocial Relationships: The Recontact Study
%A Bradley J. Bond
%A Kaitlin L. Brunick
%A Melissa N. Richards
%A Naomi Ruth Aguiar
%A Sandra L. Calvert
%J Imagination, Cognition and Personality
%@ 1541-4477
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0276236618771537
%X Parent report measures indicate that young children¡¯s parasocial relationships (PSRs) are multidimensional constructs consisting of dimensions such as social realism, attachment and character personification, and human-like needs. However, little is known about how parent perceptions of these dimensions evolve as children mature and form new PSRs. In this 3-year follow-up study, parents (N£¿=£¿156) from two previous studies were recontacted, and they provided updated information about their children¡¯s PSRs in an online questionnaire. A principal components analysis revealed that the dimensions of social realism, attachment and character personification, and human-like needs reemerged when children were approximately 6- to 8-years-old and had formed new or retained previous relationships with favorite media characters. A new dimension of character qualities also emerged, paralleling the developmental changes that occur in children¡¯s real friendships. These results clarify parent reports of the dimensions that comprise children¡¯s PSRs and provide descriptive information about the ways in which parent perceptions of children¡¯s PSRs shift as their children mature
%K parasocial relationships
%K media characters
%K parent report measures
%K longitudinal follow-up study
%K online measure
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0276236618771537