Additional Resources
- More information about Gayle Stever's papers can be found at researchgate.net
- Dr. Mark Duffet: Parasocial Relationships: An interview with Gayle Stever
- Alan Boyle: The Science of Dead Celebrities
- Shining Stars: A Grounded Theory Study Examining Celebrity Slacktivism by Josh Cohen (student of Gayle Stever)
- Green Tweet: Examining Celebrities versus Activists in Single Tweet Effectiveness by Josh Cohen (student of Gayle Stever)
Articles by/about Gayle S. Stever
What are parasocial relationships doing to our brains? by Allegra Rosenberg, October 31, 2024 via @NatGeo
Professor, students team up for study on Cameo and fan-celebrity relationships, Empire State University News, September 25, 2024
Leave Chappell Alone: Why Do Fan-Artist Relationships Turn Toxic, And What Can Be Done? by Stephen Daw, Billboard, August 28, 2024
Star Gazing with Gayle Stever by Winnie Yu CONNECTIONS magazine, Spring 2024, page 6
[Podcast] Moog became a YouTube megastar - and it messed with his mental health. Rose Kerr, Producer and reporter (February 17, 2024)
Swifties, Cumberbitches and the BTS ARMY: How fangirling can be empowering by Anna Levy (March 13, 2024)
Why Is Taylor Swift So Popular? by Felicity Martin (November 10, 2023)
Confessions of a Culture Writer With Celebrity Face Blindness by Bria McNeal (November 1, 2023)
Matthew Perry’s death prompted an outpouring of sadness. There's a term for that: parasocial grief by Sarah Laing The Kit (November 2, 2023)
What Taylor Swift Superfans Want You to Understand by Janay Kingsberry (October 20, 2023)
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are suddenly everywhere. Why we're invested – and is that OK by KiMi Robinson (October 2, 2023)
In Defense of Parasocial Relationships by Angela Haupt (July 13, 2023)
The big idea: why you should embrace your inner fan by Michael Bond (May 22, 2023)
How stars like Dolly Parton and Tom Hanks became American sweethearts by Scottie Andrew (February 5, 2023)
New media; How it Clouds the Line Between Reality and Fiction by Emma Mai (February 3, 2023)
Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes and why we can't look away from the 'GMA' scandal by Jenna Ryu (December 6, 2022)
What Is the Effect of Long-Term Fandom? by Cynthia Vinney (June 9, 2022)
How To Manage Post-Sport Depression by Ravishan (September 25, 2022)
QE2, queues and cultural cues by Colin Peacock (September 25, 2022)
What now for America's fascination with the royals? by Chelsea Bailey (September 17, 2022)
The Dangers of Artists Not Controlling Their Stans by Alexis Oatman (September 18, 2022)
How the Internet's Blind Devotion to Johnny Depp Has Turned Amber Heard Into a Villain by Clare Considine (2022, behind a paywall)
What Is Celebrity Worship?by Cynthia Vinney (May 26, 2023)
How to Cope with Post-Game Depression: Congratulations, you beat your favorite video game. Now it’s time to beat the feelings of emptiness.by Natalie Schriefer (February 16, 2022)
What Is a Parasocial Relationship? by Cynthia Vinney (November 21, 2022)
'Stan' culture needs to stop – or at least radically change. Here's why. by David Oliver (September 9, 2021)
Why We Feel Close to Celebrities We Have Never Met by Saumya Kalia (July 24, 2021)
Are the Activities of “Influencing” and “Following” on Social-Media Driving Users into an Existential Crisis? from Aleph (2021)
Podcast: Parasocial Relationships by neonnottingham from Nottingham College (June 22,, 2021)
Fan of the Fans by Shayla Love (March 29, 2021)
20 Years of 'Stan': How Eminem’s Epic 2000 Hit Relates to the Fan Culture It Inspired by J'na Jefferson (March 25, 2020)
Celebrity deaths can feel personal. Here's why Kobe Bryant's hits us so hard by Bryanna Cappadona (January 29, 2020)
Fan studies in psychology: A road less traveled by Gayle Stever (July 2019)
The Impact of Media: A New Model for Understanding Parasocial Experiences by Gayle Stever (May 2019)
Celebrity: A State or a Trait? by Gayle Stever
Celebrity: A State or a Trait? by Gayle Stever
Why Angry Taylor Swift Fans Lash Out Online: Fandom is all about community — even when it gets toxic by Angela Lashbrook. (May 8, 2019
How Our Make-Believe Relationships With Celebrities Shape Our Social Lives by Lauren Young (September 23, 2016)
Parasocial relationships: The make-believe bonds with celebrities by Lauren Young (September 23, 2016)
Author Archives:
Parasocial Experiences
Parasocial Experiences: Psychological Theory and Application by David C. Giles and Gayle S. Stever Release date: October 10, 2024 280 pages Oxford University Press Hardcover $99 (order for $69.30 from https://global.oup.com/academic with promotion code ASPROMP8) This book covers key aspects … Continue reading
Programs featuring Gayle Stever
Programs featuring Gayle Stever being interviewed by various media personnel. #1 There’s Something About Josh – The Ringer NFL Show – Apple Podcasts Featured guest on Part four: Love on the Brain at about 25 minutes into the show. January … Continue reading
Understanding Media Psychology
Understanding Media Psychology by Gayle S. Stever, David C. Giles, J. David Cohen, and Mary E. Myers Understanding Media Psychology is the perfect introductory textbook to the growing field of media psychology and its importance in society, summarizing key concepts … Continue reading
Chapter: Real Characters – The psychology of parasocial relationships with media characters
edited by Karen E. Shackleford PhD, published January 4, 2021 Gayle S. Stever: How Do Parasocial Relationships with Celebrities Contribute to Our Development Across the Lifespan? Review here More information here
The Psychology of Celebrity
Why are we fascinated by celebrities we’ve never met? What is the difference between fame and celebrity? How has social media enabled a new wave of celebrities? The Psychology of Celebrity explores the origins of celebrity culture, the relationships celebrities … Continue reading
Evolutionary Psychology and Mass Media
by Gayle S. Stever, November 2020 In book: The Sage Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology (pp.398). Publisher: Sage Link to article. Evolutionary theory as it relates to media psychology is often controversial (Grabe, 2011). A fundamental tenet relating the two fields … Continue reading
Fan studies in psychology: A road less traveled
by Gayle S. Stever, September 15, 2019 Transformative Works and Cultures, Vol. 30 This article describes the methods and materials used in my various studies of fan cultures in the years from 1988 to 2018. It delineates a mixed methods/multi-perspectivist … Continue reading
Theorizing Development of Parasocial Engagement
by Riva Tukachinsky, Gayle Stever, December 15, 2018 Communication Theory, Volume 29, Issue 3, August 2019, Pages 297–318 The article proposes a theoretical model of the development of parasocial relationships (PSRs) building on Knapp’s model of relationship development. Through synthesis … Continue reading
Conference Paper: Theorizing development of parasocial experiences.
by Riva Tukachinsky, Gayle S. Stever, May 2018 International Communication Association The manuscript proposes an overarching theoretical model of parasocial experiences including parasocial interactions (PSIs), relationships (PSRs) and attachment (PSA). Building on Knapp’s model of relationship development, the model describes … Continue reading
Chapter: Social Media and Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development
by Lorraine Lander and Gayle S. Stever, September 2017 Handbook of Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development The United Nations’ sustainable development goals cover a broad range of global problems and reaching those goals will require effort and education. Lifelong learning … Continue reading