Chapter 19 Quiz — Parasocial Relationships and the Influencer Economy

Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question. Answer key appears at the end.

1. Donald Horton and Richard Wohl first introduced the concept of parasocial interaction in:

A) A 1972 book on television audiences B) A 1956 journal article in Psychiatry C) A 1964 paper on radio fandom D) A 1980 study on soap opera audiences

2. According to Horton and Wohl, what primarily distinguished parasocial interaction from delusion?

A) The audience's recognition that the relationship was commercially motivated B) The audience's maintained awareness of the mediated, asymmetric nature of the relationship C) The audience's ability to disengage from the media figure at will D) The presence of some form of real reciprocal interaction with the media figure

3. Which term describes the durable, cross-situational emotional bond that persists between media exposures, as distinct from the in-the-moment sense of connection during viewing?

A) Parasocial interaction (PSI) B) Celebrity fandom C) Parasocial relationship (PSR) D) Mediated attachment

4. Researcher Gayle Stever's work documented that disruption of a significant parasocial relationship produces:

A) Immediate disengagement and redirection of emotional investment B) Increased platform engagement as fans seek information C) Grief responses comparable to those following real social losses D) Cognitive dissonance that motivates critical media consumption

5. Which of the following is NOT identified in the chapter as a structural difference between social media creators and traditional broadcast television personalities?

A) Creators speak directly to the camera without institutional mediation B) Creators are continuously available across multiple platforms C) Creators are subject to stricter content regulation than television D) Creators provide apparent bidirectionality through comments and direct replies

6. On the parasocial relationship spectrum described in the chapter, where does "engaged following" fall?

A) The lowest level, characterized by casual entertainment interest B) Between casual interest and parasocial bond — active monitoring with meaningful emotional investment C) The same as parasocial bond — the terms are interchangeable D) Just below parasocial obsession, involving intrusive ideation

7. The theory of social penetration (Altman and Taylor, 1973) proposes that intimate relationships develop through:

A) Shared physical space and co-presence over time B) Progressive self-disclosure by both parties C) Structural features of media that simulate conversation D) Reciprocal economic exchange and obligation

8. Why does a deep parasocial relationship feel mutual to the fan despite the fundamental knowledge asymmetry?

A) Because fans consciously choose to imagine reciprocity for emotional comfort B) Because the brain processes media figures through the same social cognition systems used for real people C) Because creators are trained to respond to comments in ways that simulate genuine reciprocity D) Because algorithmic platforms deliberately obscure the asymmetric nature of the relationship

9. Crystal Abidin's term "calibrated amateurism" refers to:

A) The FTC's standard for measuring the sincerity of influencer endorsements B) The deliberate deployment of production choices that signal authenticity by signaling the absence of professional mediation C) The gradual skill development visible in a creator's content over time D) The practice of mixing amateur and professional content to appear more relatable

10. In the chapter's framework, "authenticity theater" is best described as:

A) Creators deliberately faking emotions they do not feel B) The strategic performance of raw, unfiltered realness that is in fact carefully curated C) A deceptive practice universally condemned by media ethics researchers D) A platform design feature that promotes genuine content over produced content

11. What does the "parasocial premium" refer to in the context of the influencer economy?

A) The additional fee creators charge for exclusive access content B) The premium that platform algorithms assign to high-authenticity content C) The elevated commercial influence creators have over audiences who trust them like friends D) The additional revenue that creators generate from repeat viewers versus new viewers

12. Which monetization mechanism most explicitly sells degrees of parasocial intimacy as a product?

A) Brand partnerships and sponsorships B) Affiliate marketing links C) Patreon and tiered subscription platforms D) Display advertising on creator websites

13. Research on Twitch tipping finds that the primary motivation for sending monetary gifts during live streams is:

A) The content quality of the stream they are watching B) The desire to support creators whose work has provided value C) The brief moment of direct address — the creator acknowledging the fan by name D) Social competition with other fans for visible status in the chat

14. In the influencer marketing context, "manufactured scarcity" is particularly potent because fans frame it as:

A) A rational economic signal of high product quality B) An opportunity to support someone they care about before the opportunity is lost C) Evidence that the product has been vetted by many previous purchasers D) A test of their commitment to the fan community

15. The chapter identifies "identity-relevant appeals" as especially potent in parasocial marketing contexts. Which of the following is the best example of this dark pattern?

A) "Order in the next 24 hours for free shipping" B) "Already 10,000 units sold" C) "Real [fan nickname] know the value of investing in yourself" D) "Only 50 spots left in this cohort"

16. According to the chapter, Discord server tier systems in creator communities function as:

A) A violation of platform terms of service that most creators avoid B) A status hierarchy that attaches parasocial investment to commercial behavior C) A way for creators to maintain genuine reciprocal relationships with core fans D) A regulatory workaround that avoids FTC disclosure requirements

17. "Parasocial jealousy" in collective fan communities refers to:

A) Competition between different fan communities for cultural dominance B) Anxiety about other fans' access to the creator, and competitive feelings about the creator's attention C) Creators' feelings of resentment toward more successful peers D) Fans' recognition that their relationship with a creator is not genuinely reciprocal

18. Influencer burnout research consistently finds that which specific obligation contributes most to creators' mental health difficulties?

A) The need to maintain consistent production schedules B) The financial pressure to continuously monetize content C) The intimacy obligation — the audience's expectation of continuous personal disclosure and emotional availability D) The technical demands of multi-platform content creation

19. Why does TikTok's algorithm specifically reward "re-watch" behavior?

A) Re-watch behavior indicates that the content is educational and worth viewing multiple times B) Content that produces emotional investment makes viewers want to watch again, and this metric correlates with parasocial bond formation C) Re-watches are more valuable to advertisers because they indicate a captive audience D) Re-watch behavior is harder to artificially inflate than other engagement metrics

20. What does research on adolescent advertising comprehension consistently find about younger teens (ages 12-14)?

A) They are more skeptical of influencer endorsements than older teens B) They are significantly less likely to spontaneously recognize sponsored content as advertising C) They are more likely to check FTC disclosure language before making purchases D) They prefer explicit advertising to native advertising embedded in creator content

21. The Velocity Media sidebar in this chapter illustrates which core tension in platform decision-making?

A) The tension between creator revenue and advertiser revenue B) The tension between optimizing for engagement metrics and protecting user wellbeing C) The tension between domestic and international content moderation standards D) The tension between algorithmic recommendation and user-directed search

22. The FTC's 2023 updates to its Endorsement Guides require that disclosures be:

A) Placed at the beginning of every piece of content before any other elements B) Made in writing only, not verbally in video content C) "Clear and conspicuous" — placed where users will notice them, in understandable language D) Reviewed and approved by the FTC before commercial content is published

Answer Key

1. B
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. C
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. B
10. B
11. C
12. C
13. C
14. B
15. C
16. B
17. B
18. C
19. B
20. B
21. B
22. C