Not So Imaginary Interpersonal Contact With Public Figures on Social Network Sites

Abstract

Two studies investigated (a) how public figures’ interaction with their followers on social network sites (SNS) affects individuals’ impressions about and attitudes toward them, and (b) how individuals’ interpersonal orientation moderates such effects, if any. In Study 1, participants viewed either a famous actor’s Twitter page or a news article merely relaying his Tweets. Exposure to the Twitter page (vs. news article) induced stronger feelings of actual conversation (i.e., social presence) among less affiliative individuals, whereas the reverse was true for more socially proactive ones. Social presence, in turn, facilitated parasocial interaction with the target and heightened the participants’ willingness to watch his movie, with limited effects on their overall evaluation of the target. Study 2, which employed a lesser known local politician using a different microblogging service, replicated the advantage of SNS communication over the news article for socially reserved individuals, with no corresponding effect for more affiliative ones.