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:
Conference Paper: Social Media and Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development
by Lorraine Lander and Gayle S. Stever, March 2017 World Symposium on Lifelong Learning and 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 … Continue reading
Chapter: Parasocial Theory: Concepts and Measures
by Gayle S. Stever, March 2017 The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects Parasocial interaction (PSI) describes nonreciprocated audience interactions with media personae. These interactions are, in many ways, like face-to-face interactions with the caveat that the response normally expected from … Continue reading
Chapter: Sage Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender
by Gayle S. Stever, January 2017 Media has had an enormous impact on how gender and gender roles are perceived culturally. Media is generally understood to be a form of communication that is less direct than face-to-face communication, including a … Continue reading
Article : Meeting Josh Groban (Again): Fan/Celebrity Contact as Ordinary Behavior
by Gayle S. Stever, November 2016 In a participant-observer ethnographic study, the researcher offers evidence from 10 years of observation of the Josh Groban fandom as an example of fans becoming friendly acquaintances of celebrities. Contrary to the way much … Continue reading
Article: Evolutionary Theory and Reactions to Mass Media: Understanding Parasocial Attachment.
by Gayle S. Stever, March 2016 Article: Forming attachments to those people proximal to the individual was the only option prior to mass media. In an era of mass media, individuals become acquainted with media personae, expanding greatly the pool … Continue reading
Conference Paper: Bowling Alone? Fandoms as Activist Communities
by Gayle S. Stever, April 2015 Popular Music Fandom and the Public Sphere
Conference Paper: What Role Twitter? Celebrity Conversations with Fans
by Gayle S. Stever, September 2013 International Communication Association, Transforming Audiences Conference
Conference Paper: Twitter as a Form of Parasocial Interaction: Implications for Parasocial Attachment
by Gayle S. Stever, September 2013 Transforming Audiences This article addresses the presence of social media in our culture and the significance of interaction that takes place through social media. Specifically this research calls for a description of social interaction … Continue reading
Article: Twitter as a Way for Celebrities to Communicate with Fans: Implications for the Study of Parasocial Interaction
by Gayle S. Stever and Kevin Lawson, January 2013 Twitter is a relatively new social media website and a good option for celebrities who want to chat with their fans without having to give away personal access information. This paper … Continue reading
Article : Mediated vs. Parasocial Relationships: An Attachment Perspective
by Gayle S. Stever, January 2013 This article delineates the distinctions between mediated and parasocial relationships before outlining the key aspects of parasocial theory and suggesting that the theory be expanded to consistently include parasocial attachment as a category distinct … Continue reading