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Purpose: Home-based workouts via fitness YouTube channels have become more popular during the pandemic era. However, few studies have examined the role of social media personae related to intention to exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural relationships between fitness YouTuber attributes: perceived physical attractiveness (PPA), perceived social attractiveness (PSA), perceived similarity (PS), parasocial relationships (PSRs), wishful identification (WI), physical outcome expectations (POEs), and continuous intention to work out with fitness YouTubers (CIWFY). Design/methodology/approach: This study considered fitness YouTube channel viewers as the unit of analysis. An online survey was conducted to empirically develop and test the research model using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings: The SEM empirical findings revealed that the PSRs were significantly influenced by PSA, PPA, and PS. Also, WI was significantly affected by PPA and PS. Furthermore, POEs were significantly impacted by PPA and PSRs. POEs affected the CIWFY. Lastly, PSRs and POEs mediated the influence of PSA and PPA on the CIWFY. Originality/value: The psychological impacts of exercising to online fitness videos in the era of COVID-19, with its untact (no contact) social norms is timely. The study model demonstrated the fitness YouTube viewers' cognitive path from perceptions toward fitness YouTubers' attributes to behavioral intention. To be specific, the current study demonstrated how three attribution types (i.e. PPA, PSA, and PS) of fitness YouTubers affect viewers' PSRs and WI with fitness YouTubers, along with POEs and CIWFY. Along with health practitioners, fitness YouTubers who want to captivate viewers on their channels might need to consider self-attributes from their viewers' standpoint and should build psychological bonding with viewers. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Internet Research is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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As one of the first doctors issued a protective warning to the public, Dr. Li Wenliang was known as "whistleblower" of COVID-19 pandemic. After his death of COVID-19, students entered to his Sina Weibo to display their condolences and sorrow. We conduct text analysis and sentiment classification to investigate the motivation behind online mourning for Dr. Li among students on Sina Weibo. Our results indicate that, a) there always more than one motivation behind online mourning exists in each time period. b) continuing connection and semi-interaction with the deceased is the main motivation when students mourn online. c) there exists positive correlation between the influence of the deceased and the motivation--sharing information with the community of fans and creating social support in a time of loss and social support. d) the motivation--honoring the dead and expressing sadness and resentment can gradually lose over time.
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PurposeThe aim of this paper is to study the challenges of digital advertising from the characterization of the influencer phenomenon based on the perceptions of two different and non-consecutive generations, explored from the perspective of parasocial relationshipsDesign/methodology/approachUsing a quantitative methodology design and a descriptive approach, a study is presented on a sample of 449 individuals belonging to two generational niches, generation Z (N = 227) and generation X (N = 222). For the study, characterization parameters have been defined based on existing literature, defining five-dimension conceptualization: strength, fairness, engagement, trustworthiness and social role.FindingsThe results point to a different perception of the phenomenon in some aspects that allow an intergenerational portrait of the figure of the influencer to be made. The findings of the study are innovative because they were not previously available and transcend academia to serve the companies that proliferate in the representation and management of influencers, as the characterization of this figure is important for the identification of key aspects in the adjustment of products and messages offered to a certain public of a specific population niche, both for advertising companies and for media and institutions.Originality/valueThe study reveals interesting challenges for digital advertising from the audience's perceptions about influencers, highlighting the relevance of influencers which clearly contributes to a better understanding of more efficient strategies on digital advertising.
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How to retain people's trust in the government becomes a critical topic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research on media use and government public relations has proliferated in the past several decades. However, there is a paucity of research investigating political trust in the context of a public health crisis as a communicative process from a relational perspective. This study examined collectivism and parasocial relationships as two potential mechanisms linking digital media exposure to political trust in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 465 Chinese young adults aged between 18 and 35 responded to anonymous questionnaires regarding digital media exposure to Nanshan Zhong, collectivism, parasocial relationships, COVID-19 political trust, and general political trust. The results suggested that the formation of parasocial relationships with Nanshan Zhong mediated the impact of digital media exposure on COVID-19 political trust and general political trust, respectively. Meanwhile, the indirect associations were moderated by collectivism. Through repeated exposure to news of Nanshan Zhong on multiple digital media, individuals with higher levels of collectivism were more likely to develop parasocial relationships with him, which subsequently resulted in increased political trust.
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Video game addiction, a common behavioral problem among college students, has been more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic; at the same time, females' video game usage has also attracted considerable research attention. Against this background and under the perspective of social interaction, this study aimed to examine the relationship between relational victimization and video game addiction among female college students, as well as its underlying mechanism-the mediating roles of social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters. Female college students (N = 437) were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires voluntarily in June 2022. Through the mediating effect analysis, the results found that (1) relational victimization was positively associated with female college students' video game addiction; (2) social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters could independently mediate this relation; (3) social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters were also the serial mediators in this association. These findings not only expand previous studies by revealing the social motivation of video game usage and the underlying mechanism accounting for video game addiction, but also provide basis and guidance for the prevention and intervention of video game addiction in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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COVID-19 , Crime Victims , Humans , Female , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Students , Technology Addiction , Anxiety/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This paper examines the relations among AI service attributes, brand image, brand familiarity and customer equity. The proposed relationships were tested by structural equation modeling of survey data of 210 usable responses in China. Test results indicate that problem-solving ability, accuracy, and customization of AI service have significant positive effects on brand image;the three constructs of customer equity (value equity, brand equity, and relationship equity) are all positively and strongly affected by brand image. Moreover, brand familiarity moderates the effect of customization, interaction, and problem-solving ability on brand image. By bringing together AI literature and consumer behavior literature, this research sheds light on the effectiveness of AI service in enhancing brand image and customer equity. This has important theoretical value in enriching the streams of AI and brand research. Additionally, this research integrates the AI technology within a corporate brand management strategy and offers practitioners and marketers in post-COVID era with a model with which they can find new ways to meet consumer demands and improve brand image via AI technology.
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Purpose: Home-based workouts via fitness YouTube channels have become more popular during the pandemic era. However, few studies have examined the role of social media personae related to intention to exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural relationships between fitness YouTuber attributes: perceived physical attractiveness (PPA), perceived social attractiveness (PSA), perceived similarity (PS), parasocial relationships (PSRs), wishful identification (WI), physical outcome expectations (POEs), and continuous intention to work out with fitness YouTubers (CIWFY). Design/methodology/approach: This study considered fitness YouTube channel viewers as the unit of analysis. An online survey was conducted to empirically develop and test the research model using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings: The SEM empirical findings revealed that the PSRs were significantly influenced by PSA, PPA, and PS. Also, WI was significantly affected by PPA and PS. Furthermore, POEs were significantly impacted by PPA and PSRs. POEs affected the CIWFY. Lastly, PSRs and POEs mediated the influence of PSA and PPA on the CIWFY. Originality/value: The psychological impacts of exercising to online fitness videos in the era of COVID-19, with its untact (no contact) social norms is timely. The study model demonstrated the fitness YouTube viewers' cognitive path from perceptions toward fitness YouTubers' attributes to behavioral intention. To be specific, the current study demonstrated how three attribution types (i.e. PPA, PSA, and PS) of fitness YouTubers affect viewers' PSRs and WI with fitness YouTubers, along with POEs and CIWFY. Along with health practitioners, fitness YouTubers who want to captivate viewers on their channels might need to consider self-attributes from their viewers' standpoint and should build psychological bonding with viewers. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated the significant role that the mass media plays in disseminating messages to the public during disasters. Information disseminated during a disaster influences individuals' decision-making process regarding protective actions. This study examined the relationship between media dependency theory, parasocial relationship, and media effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative approach was used with a convenience sample. The sample focused on residents in the state of Arkansas and specific generational cohorts. The results found that the generational cohorts had different media preferences during the height of COVID-19. While media dependency was found to have a significant relationship with some media effects, they were small effect sizes. Parasocial relationship was not found to have any relationship with media effects. Lastly, a relationship between media dependency and parasocial relationship was found. Crisis communication professionals and emergency managers should consider different media behaviors between age groups in order to effectively communicate with their audience. Future studies are needed to further examine the role that mass media plays in the decision-making process during disasters. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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Digital social networking platforms become the mechanism for fans and celebrities to have digital communication and interation. Marketers and celebrities may take advantage of this opportunity to promote merchandise to consumers and fans by leveraging the wishful identification and parasocial relationship between digital celebrities and their followers. This study investigates the effect of wishful identification on parasocial relationships, which then enhance behavioral loyalty and purchase intentions sequentially. An online survey was administered to 300 Vietnamese social network sites (SNS) users, who were following digital celebrities. The statistical results indicate that higher levels of wishful identification positively associated with higher levels of parasocial relationship, which then trigger higher levels of behavioral loyalty and purchase intention sequentially. This study therefore sheds light on fans’ behavioral loyalty with digital celebrities through their purchase identification during Covid-19 time. © 2021 CEUR-WS. All rights reserved.