Will Audiences’ Categorization of the Targets of Celebrity’s Transgression Influence Parasocial Relationships and Emotional Reactions?

ABSTRACT The present study investigates how audiences’ categorization (in-group or out-group) of the targets of a celebrity’s verbal aggression influences their parasocial relationships (PSRs) with the celebrity and emotional reactions (anger, sadness, anxiety, and happiness). Two hundred and eighty Chinese college students completed an online study. The participants reported greater PSR decrease and lower levels of happiness when the transgression targets were their in-group members in contrast to when the targets were their out-group members, after adjusted for group identification. The implications of the study as well as the future directions are discussed.