Celebrity-Persona Parasocial Interaction Scale

Abstract

The celebrity-persona parasocial interaction scale (CPPI) is designed to measure how media consumers form parasocial relationships with celebrities or popular fictional characters. A parasocial relationship is defined as an imaginary interpersonal relationship between a media consumer and a media persona (Horton & Wohl, 1956). Persona can be real people, such as actors, athletes, and performing artists; or they can be fictional characters, such as Susan in the television serial Desperate Housewives, a character played by actress Teri Hatcher, or Indiana Jones, a character in the film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, played by actor Harrison Ford. The CPPI is derived from several other published parasocial action scales, including Rubin, Perse & Powell (1985), Cole & Leets (1999), and Auter & Palmgreen (2000). While most parasocial interaction scales are designed to measure the strength of parasocial relationships that develop through television viewing, the CPPI is particularly targeted to celebrities whose exposure far exceeds television programs alone.