2025
By Priska Breves and Zeph van Berlo
This project investigates how parasocial relationships (i.e., one-sided emotional bonds that media users form with media figures through repeated exposure) develop and exert causal effects over time. Existing research relies heavily on cross-sectional surveys and experiments, which limit insights into temporal dynamics and causal processes. To address this gap, we develop and validate a longitudinal repeated-exposure method that captures the formation and evolution of PSRs across multiple measurement waves. The project further provides standardized stimuli, benchmark datasets, and computational analysis workflows to support methodological reuse.