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Is the term parasocial derived from para meaning abnormal

Question asked:

“The term 'parasocial' is derived from 'para' meaning abnormal and 'social'.”
False
Confidence: High Checked on October 23, 2026

Summary

The word “parasocial” is formed from the prefix “para‑” meaning “alongside” or “beside” combined with “social.” It was coined by sociologists Horton and Wohl in 1956 and does not derive from a meaning of “abnormal.”

Sources 60 searched

bbc.com
  • Parasocial is named as Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year

    Parasocial is more than being obsessed; it is almost being convinced that this person knows you as you know them, said Jessica Rundell · The word was first coined by University of Chicago sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, who observed ...

digitalcommons.latech.edu
  • Understanding Parasocial Relationships and the Mental ...

    Research has found that parasocial relationships have also helped · individuals through tough times or even helped shape their identity. With social media, as · it is today, these relationships are more easily accessed than in previous years. Media has always been a part of society whether it is books, telephones, radio, television, or cell phones. One term that was coined due to the rise and obsession of

blogs.lse.ac.uk
en.wiktionary.org
en.wikipedia.org
  • Parasocial interaction - Wikipedia

    Hataway indicated that although ... of social psychology, a solid connection to psychological theory and developmental theory has been missing. Hataway further suggested that more psychological research is needed in order to develop parasocial theory. Specific issues cited were "how parasocial relationships are derived from parasocial ...

oed.com
  • parasocial, adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary

    OED's earliest evidence for parasocial is from 1956, in a text by D. Horton and R. R. Wohl. ... Formed within English, by derivation. ... Originally Psychology and Sociology. ... Designating a relationship characterized by the one-sided, unreciprocated sense of intimacy felt by a viewer, fan, ...

merriam-webster.com
  • PARASOCIAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    … parasocial …—a term coined in 1956 to describe the connection between television viewers and a new class of entertainment personalities, including announcers, game-show hosts and anyone else who spoke in direct address to the camera.—Jamie Lauren Keiles

genzdecoded.com
  • parasocial: meaning and origin · GenZ Decoded

    Parasocial started as an academic term. Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl introduced it in 1956 in the journal Psychiatry, in a paper titled "Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance", spelled with a hyphen. They used it for the closeness radio and television audiences felt with presenters who seemed to talk straight to them.

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