Characterising the Influence of Parasocial Experience on the Media Figures’ Audiences: A Scoping Review

Parasocial experience describes the psychological, emotional, and behavioural bonds that audiences form with media figures—celebrities, fictional characters, and other on-screen personalities. It encompasses three related constructs: parasocial interaction, parasocial relationship, and parasocial attachment. Following the Joanna Briggs Institute framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, this scoping review synthesises 59 empirical studies published between 2019 and 2024. Results show that PSRs were the most studied dimension (n = 42), followed by PSI (n = 20). PSA, in contrast, appeared in just one study. Key characteristics across these studies include perceived familiarity, imagined intimacy, behavioural engagement, intuitive personality traits, and compensatory motivations. The review highlights PSA as a particularly underexplored yet affectively intense form of engagement. Its limited empirical attention reveals a critical theoretical gap and calls for further investigation into attachment-related audience behaviours.