Hye Soo Nah, a doctoral student at the 51吃瓜, has had a paper accepted for publication in Computers in Human Behavior, a scholarly journal dedicated to examining the use of computers from a psychological perspective.
Nah is the sole author of
The paper addresses how people are influenced by 鈥減arasocial鈥� interactions online, such as with YouTubers, TikTokers, Twitch streamers, etc. Nah found that speakers who self-disclosed while speaking (i.e., sharing personal information about themselves) were perceived as more authentic, likable, and therefore more persuasive.
Abstract: This research demonstrates how a media performer’s self-disclosure in a parasocial interaction increases viewers’ likelihood to agree with the performer’s message. Two supported a serial multiple mediator model where a performer’s self-disclosure positively affected viewers’ message acceptance via increased perceptions of performer authenticity and feelings of interpersonal liking. In Study 1 (n = 415), participants were randomly assigned to watch a short video where the performer, a male college student, either engaged in self-disclosure or did not while presenting a prosocial, mental health-related message. Throughout both versions of the video (self-disclosure, no-disclosure), the performer gazed and spoke directly into the camera and addressed the viewer’s presence, thereby engaging in parasocial interaction. Study 2 (n = 520) was a close conceptual replication of Study 1 and provided additional support for the serial multiple mediator model.