The Parasocial Relationships Between Influencers and Consumers:

The Impact on Product Attitudes and Product Referrals

Abstract

This study examines the impact of one-to-many parasocial relationships between social media influencers and consumers on product attitudes and referrals using social comparison theory. Focusing on beauty and fashion social media influencers on YouTube, this study employs a structural equation model to test how influencer credibility and the psychological dimensions of consumer envy affect product attitudes and referrals through parasocial relationships. The results of analyzing 120 samples of response data confirmed the validity of the components of influencer credibility, which include 5 factors (trustworthiness, expertise, social attractiveness, physical attractiveness, and homophily). Influencer credibility and envy were observed to positively influence product attitudes and referrals while enhancing parasocial relationships with consumers. In particular, trustworthiness, social attractiveness, and homophily strongly influence parasocial relationships. This study contributes to the literature by developing a comprehensive model of the parasocial relationships between influencers and consumers and their impact on product attitudes and referrals.