Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts

Major

Psychology

Date of Defense

4-16-2026

Graduate Advisor

Sandra J. E. Langeslag, Ph.D., Department of Psychological Sciences

Committee

Hannah White, Ph.D., Department of Psychological Sciences

Carissa Philippi, Ph.D., Department of Psychological Sciences

Abstract

People can have a crush on, fall in love with, or develop a romantic interest in media figures despite having no reciprocal interaction, which is known as parasocial love. The objective of this study was to evaluate subjective feelings for and event-related potential (ERP) responses reflecting attention to the parasocial beloved and to compare them to real-life love. Twenty-six participants who have a parasocial beloved were recruited. Sixteen of those had a real-life beloved as well. The participants answered questions about their love feelings and completed the Infatuation and Attachment Scales and the Parasocial Love Scale for both their parasocial and real-life beloved (if any). After this, the ERP responses were recorded in two tasks with four picture conditions: parasocial beloved, real-life beloved (if any), friend, and stranger. The first task was used to measure the late positive potential (LPP), that elicits sustained motivated attention, and the second task was used to measure early posterior negativity (EPN), that elicits early automatic attention. Regarding the love feelings, participants reported stronger attachment, emotional response and physical attraction to their real-life beloved than their parasocial beloved, but equivalent infatuation between them. Regarding the ratings, participants also felt more pleasant and aroused when viewing their parasocial beloved than when viewing their friend and stranger, and more in control when viewing their parasocial beloved than when viewing the stranger. By contrast, participants felt equally pleasant when viewing their parasocial and real-life beloved, but not differently aroused or in control. Regarding the ERP response, the LPP amplitude was larger for the parasocial beloved and friend than the stranger. However, the LPP amplitude was not different between parasocial beloved and real-life beloved. There was an EPN for the parasocial beloved compared to the stranger. However, the ERP response was equivalent for the parasocial beloved and real-life beloved. The present study represents a first attempt to address subjective feelings for and electrophysiological responses to the parasocial beloved. Even though parasocial love and real-life romantic love have similarities and differences, there is still research to be done.

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