Viewers form enduring bonds, or parasocial relationships (PSRs), with media characters. They suffer breakup distress when such relationships are dissolved and show emotional reactions similar to those from the dissolution of social relationships. Alongside definite and temporary breakups, this paper introduces the term , and the three breakup types are analyzed and compared. In a two-survey study with viewers of five shows (), the three parasocial breakup types were analyzed in Study I with independent samples and with dependent samples in Study II, which also considered the behavioral effects of parasocial breakups. The results show that PSRs positively predict viewers’ temporary, uncertain, and definite breakup distress and subsequent PSRs after a breakup. The three types of breakup distress differ regarding, for example, their moderation of viewers’ level of loneliness or their behavioral effects. The results’ implications are discussed for future research on PSRs and their dissolution.

中文翻译：

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银幕上的告别：准社会关系的不确定性以及与虚构媒体人物的分手✰,✰✰


观众与媒体人物形成持久的联系，或称类社会关系 (PSR)。当这种关系破裂时，他们会遭受分手痛苦，并表现出与社会关系破裂类似的情绪反应。除了确定性分手和暂时性分手之外，本文还引入了术语“分手”，并对三种分手类型进行了分析和比较。在一项对五个节目的观众进行的两项调查研究中，研究 I 中使用独立样本分析了三种准社会分手类型，研究 II 中使用依赖样本分析了三种准社会分手类型，该研究还考虑了准社会分手的行为影响。结果表明，PSR 可以积极预测观众暂时的、不确定的和确定的分手痛苦以及分手后随后的 PSR。这三种类型的分手痛苦的不同之处在于，例如，它们对观众孤独程度的调节或行为影响。讨论了结果对 PSR 及其溶解的未来研究的影响。