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DOI: 10.14254/1795-6889.2025.21-1.7
Submitted: 2023-10-31
Published: 2025-05-28

When does parasocial interaction make influencers more influential?

University of Jyväskylä
Researcher at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä.
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Eero Rantala

Eero Rantala is a Researcher at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä. His research interests include quantitative research methods and statistics.

Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä
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Jussi Nyrhinen

Jussi Nyrhinen is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä. His research interests include digitalization in the retail business and consumer behavior.

 

Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Consumer Society Research, University of Helsinki
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Hanna Reinikainen

Hanna Reinikainen is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Consumer Society Research, University of Helsinki. Her research interests include social media influencers, parasocial interaction, and organizational communication.

Associate Professor at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona.
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Caleb Warren

Caleb Warren is an Associate Professor at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. His research interests include digital marketing, consumer behavior, and consumer psychology.

Professor of Sociology at the University of Jyväskylä.
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Terhi-Anna Wilska

Terhi-Anna Wilska is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Jyväskylä. Her interests include consumption, consumer society, ICT, digitalization, young people, well-being, and sustainability.

parasocial interaction social media influencers consumer behavior persuasion

Abstract

Consumers who experience higher parasocial interaction (PSI) with influencers are more likely to try an option that the influencer recommends. Are consumers with high PSI also more likely to follow an influencer’s recommendation not to try an option? We predicted that PSI would matter more when the influencer encourages consumers to try an option than when she discourages them from trying it. Inconsistent with our prediction, consumers were more likely to follow the influencer’s recommendation when the influencer encouraged them and when the influencer attempted to create high PSI with consumers, but these effects were independent.

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How to Cite

Tuominen, J., Rantala, E., Nyrhinen, J., Reinikainen, H., Warren, C., & Wilska, T.-A. (2025). When does parasocial interaction make influencers more influential?. Human Technology, 21(1), 146–160. https://doi.org/10.14254/1795-6889.2025.21-1.7