A Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Parasocial Relationships and Breakups With Characters of a Health-Related TV Show on Self-Efficacy and Exercise Behavior: The Case of The Biggest Loser

Overweight is one of the major health-related challenges in industrialized countries and mostly preventable through a healthy diet and regular engagement in physical activity. Health communication practitioners and researchers, therefore, started using the media’s persuasive potential by creating entertainment-education (E-E) programs that promote healthy nutrition and exercise. By observing the characters in E-E programs, audience members can learn vicariously and eventually develop personal bonds with them. The current study investigates the effects of parasocial relationships (PSRs) with characters of a health-related E-E show, as well as the impact of parasocial breakups (PSBUs) on health-relevant outcomes. Using the setting of the show The Biggest Loser (TBL), we conducted a quasi-experimental longitudinal field study. Participants ( N = 149) watched shortened episodes of the show once a week for 5 weeks. Results showed that PSRs with the reality TV characters did not increase over time and after repeated exposure. Findings furthermore suggest that PSR did not influence self-efficacy perceptions or exercise behavior over time. Parasocial breakup distress intensity was neither related to self-efficacy nor to exercise behavior. Interpretations of these findings and implications for better understanding the effects of PSRs and PSBUs are discussed.

Post-dissolution ambivalence, breakup adjustment, and relationship reconciliation

Relational ambivalence is conceptualized as having conflicting thoughts and feelings toward one’s partner or relationship. The current study explored how ambivalence about an ex-partner in a post-dissolution stage was associated with breakup distress as well as reconciliation. The moderating role of whether the relationship had previously cycled through breakups and renewals (on-off) or not (non-cyclical) was also examined. The 275 participants completed an initial survey following their most recent breakup (within the past 30 days) and up to five monthly surveys. Analyses showed cognitive and emotional ambivalence were associated with greater breakup distress and a greater likelihood of relationship renewal. Additionally, although cyclical partners had slightly greater emotional, but not cognitive, ambivalence toward their former partners, relationship type did not moderate the associations between ambivalence and breakup distress or reconciliation. The findings provide insights on how ambivalence could be incorporated into research on post-dissolution experiences.

Breakup grief: The difference between initiator and non-initiator depending on coping strategies and attachment

The aim of this paper is to examine the difference in the intensity of the breakup distress between the initiator and the non-initiator, as well as whether this difference is moderated by coping strategies and inner working models according to the attachment theory. The sample used in the research is convenient and consists of 387 respondents. The age range is between 18-40 (M=23.90; SD=4.22). We used the Close Relationship Experience Questionnaire (Brenan, Clark, & Shaver, 1995), the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997) and the Breakup Distress Scale (Field & al., 2010). The t-test was performed for the independent samples to test the difference between the breakup initiators and non-initiators in the variable of grief after a breakup (t(365)=4.62; p<.01). Within the constructed prediction model, a total of four predictors showed an independent contribution to the explanation of experienced grief after a breakup: the status of the initiator of the breakup, coping aimed at solving problems, coping with avoidance and anxiety. Later, by testing the contribution of the predictor and the variable, the status of the initiator was obtained as a statistically significant interaction with anxiety. Respondents who have low anxiety do not experience a high level of distress after a breakup and do not differ from each other depending on whether the initiators of the relationship were them or their partner. Respondents who have high anxiety experience a noticeably higher level of emotional distress after the breakup, but there are also differences in that level depending on who initiated the breakup. If the partner initiated the termination, the level of experienced distress will be significantly higher. It seems that presenting as a stressor can be a trigger of an intense emotional reaction, considering that such people are sensitive to rejection by others.

Distress Severity Following a Romantic Breakup Is Associated With Positive Relationship Memories Among Emerging Adults

Romantic relationship loss is associated with significant psychological distress for emerging adults. Intrusive memories of stressful events are typically associated with symptom severity; however, whether spontaneous positive memories of a relationship breakup may also be related to psychological symptoms has received little attention. We examined links between breakup-specific distress, depressive symptoms, and relationship memories of different valence. Ninety-one emerging adults ( Mage = 20.13) who had experienced a recent romantic breakup recorded the frequency of positive and negative spontaneous relationship memories in a 4-day online memory diary. Control memories were also recorded. Positive memories were specifically related to breakup distress, whereas negative memories were related to both breakup distress and depression. No such associations were found for the control memories. Experiences of positive memories appear critical for understanding the degree of distress a young person may experience following a breakup. Possible explanations for these findings and similarities with the grief and bereavement literature are discussed.