Loneliness as a predictor of parasocial relationships among young adult genshin impact players

Abstract

Purpose: to examine whether loneliness significantly predicts parasocial relationships among young adult genshin impact players.

Method: this study used a quantitative predictive correlational design involving 218 young adult genshin impact players aged 18–40 years. Data were collected using the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 and the multiple parasocial relationship scale, adapted to the genshin impact context. The data were analyzed using simple linear regression to examine whether loneliness significantly predicted parasocial relationships.

Findings: loneliness significantly and positively predicted parasocial relationships among young adult genshin impact players. However, loneliness explained only a small proportion of the variance in parasocial relationships, indicating that other factors also contribute to the development of parasocial relationships.

Implications: to a broader understanding of parasocial relationships by highlighting the psychological relevance of loneliness in players’ emotional involvement with fictional game characters.

Originality: this study provides novel evidence on the predictive role of loneliness in parasocial relationships with fictional and interactive game characters, specifically among young adult genshin impact players.