Parasocial Contact and Selective Exposure: LGBTQ People on Mass Media

• In Event: Attitudes Toward Social Groups

Abstract

One primary explanation that has been proposed for the rapid opinion change in favor of LGBTQ rights has been the role of out LGBTQ characters on mass media. Parasocial contact theory expects people’s prejudices to be reduced by being exposed to characters representing diverse communities and experiences. People, however, are not passive receivers of their media content: perhaps the people who would choose to watch LGBTQ characters on mass media meaningfully differ from those who do not. The present study experimentally examines the effect of LGBTQ characters on public attitudes about LGBTQ people and rights. It also examines the magnitude of selection bias in what people would like to watch, which continues to show how media effects are impacted by individual choices. The present study suggests parasocial contact may not fully account for the mass opinion change that occurred in the United States.

Author

• Andrew R. Flores, American University