Parasocial Interaction Scale

What it measures

Measures the sense of intimacy, friendship, and social connection consumers develop with media figures, celebrities, and social media influencers despite the absence of actual social interaction. Parasocial relationships are a key mechanism through which influencer marketing works — strong parasocial bonds increase receptivity to endorsements, reduce scepticism, and drive purchase behaviour.

Response format

Likert (1–5, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Scale items

• [Persona/host/celebrity] makes me feel comfortable, as if I am with a friend.
• I see [persona] as a natural, down-to-earth person.
• [Persona] makes me feel as if I am part of their group.
• I would like to meet [persona] in person.
• [Persona] seems to understand the kinds of things I want to know about.
• If [persona] appeared on another programme, I would watch or follow that too.
• When [persona] shows their feelings, it reminds me of how I feel.
• [Persona] interests me in thinking about ideas I had not considered before.
• I think [persona] is like an old friend.
• When I watch [persona], I feel as if they are talking directly to me.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Widely adapted for influencer marketing and social media contexts — replace 'influencer' with the specific person or persona being studied. Score = mean. Higher = stronger parasocial relationship. Parasocial interaction is a stronger predictor of influencer endorsement effectiveness than source credibility alone in some contexts.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Rubin, A.M., Perse, E.M., & Powell, R.A. (1985). Loneliness, parasocial interaction, and local television news viewing. Human Communication Research, 12(2), 155–180.

Keywords