Influencer-Follower Relationships as a Two-Way Exchange: Perceived Interconnectedness Scale Development and Validation

Influencer–follower relationships are largely examined as one-way parasocial relationships. Perceived interconnectedness, a bi-directional relationship has been qualitatively explored in different contexts. This study operationally defines this relationship in an influencer–follower context through the creation of a valid and reliable scale following well-accepted scale development procedures. Two samples were recruited, first exploring the factor structure of the newly developed scale and the second to confirm the factor structure. Perceived interconnectedness, after rigorous pilot testing, principal components analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis, contains four factors and 15 items. We discuss potential applications of the perceived influencer interconnectedness scale and future research directions.