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The Parasocial Contact Hypothesis: Implications for Changing Racial Attitudes

Davis, Yolanda Alexander
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1211940916

Abstract Details

2008, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Communication.
The following is an examination of the Parasocial Contact Hypothesis. This theoretical framework combines the principles of Inter Contact Theory and parasocial relationships to suggest that a person's stereotypical attitudes towards members of differing groups can be suspended by encountering those groups in the media. The framework was studied in light of Social Identity Theory. The author measured the attitudes of a non-black sample towards African Americans and their own ethnic group and then exposed to a sitcom that featured a predominantly African American cast. The sample's attitudes towards blacks were again assessed, along with their attitudes towards the shows and its characters. The author found that overall, exposure to the sitcom was not enough to change attitudes towards African Americans, but parasocial activity can predict attitudes toward a show and its characters. Other findings and directions for future research are also discussed.
Osei Appiah, PhD (Advisor)
Daniel McDonald, PhD (Committee Member)
57 p.
Communication
Race; parasocial; contact hypothesis; televsion

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Davis, Y. A. (2008). The Parasocial Contact Hypothesis: Implications for Changing Racial Attitudes [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1211940916

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Davis, Yolanda. The Parasocial Contact Hypothesis: Implications for Changing Racial Attitudes. 2008. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1211940916.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Davis, Yolanda. "The Parasocial Contact Hypothesis: Implications for Changing Racial Attitudes." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1211940916

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1211940916
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© 2008, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.