The Dark Triad of Personality and Hero/Villain Status as Predictors of Parasocial Relationships With Comic Book Characters

Although a breadth of literature exists on the formation of parasocial relationships (PSRs) with celebrity figures and fictional characters across an array of mediums, there remains a distinct gap in understanding of PSR engagement with comic book characters. As comic books present unique and enduring opportunities for PSR development, this study will address this gap through exploration of dark triad personality traits and hero/villain character choice as predictors of PSR dimensions in 277 adults. In the context of comic books, survey results indicate that those who identified with a heroic character displayed higher levels of narcissism and were more likely to turn to their favorite character for guidance, to express desire for face-to-face contact with them, and to believe they hold a level of intimacy with the character. Character choice also predicted the guidance and desire for face-to-face contact dimensions of PSRs, with these dimensions being higher for heroic characters. Narcissism was the only dark triad trait to consistently predict increased guidance seeking, desire to engage in face-to-face contact, and elevated feelings of intimacy and familiarity with one's favorite character. Character choice was found to moderate the effect of narcissism in predicting desire for face-to-face contact. For those whose favorite character was a villain, desire substantially increased with levels of narcissism. This suggests that comic book based PSR formation may reflect a self-centered interpersonal process, where readers with a more grandiose sense of self perceive a unique and meaningful bond between the self and comic book characters. Public Policy Relevance Statement This study suggests that comic book readers with a more grandiose sense of self perceive a unique and meaningful bond between the self and comic book characters. The dark triad personality trait of narcissism consistently predicted formation of parasocial relationships with comic book characters. Participants with a villainous favorite character showed an increased desire to meet this character when the participant was also high in narcissism.