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Thesis Emily Grande.pdf (1.35 MB)

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EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS AND PERSONAL SUSTAINABILITY NORMS OF GEN Z CONSUMERS

Grande, Emily
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1745330789955923

Abstract Details

2025, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Ohio University, Business Administration.
This research aims to understand how the presence of a parasocial relationship with a social media influencer on the purchasing behaviors of an influencer promoted product. This research also observes how different personal norms of sustainability may impact purchasing behaviors. Information about average social media usage, impulse buying behaviors, spending, and social media influencers were also collected to see if there was any significant impact on purchasing behaviors. The three main dependent variables in this study were the Average Purchase Intention, Average Price Expectation, and Average Willingness to Pay. This study used a quantitative survey to collect answers from over 300 Ohio University College of Business Marketing students. Participants were split randomly into two conditions: the random-influencer condition (the control condition), where participants all saw the same post from the same influencer, and the parasocial relationship condition, where participants saw the same post from an influencer of their choosing. The stimuli in this study is a manufactured Instagram post about a new sweatshirt being promoted by the influencer matching the participant’s condition. Participants were then asked questions about their purchasing behavior of the promoted product to measure the three dependent variables and the other variables above. The study revealed that the only significant purchase intention was made by participants with a high level of parasocial relationship and high levels of personal norms of sustainability. All other conditions proved that there was not a significant difference in purchase intention, price expectations, or the willingness to pay for the product. This research is a starting point for future researchers to help investigate how parasocial relationships, personal norms of sustainability, and other compounding factors impact the purchasing behaviors of an influencer-promoted product.
Raymond Frost (Advisor)
Jessica Weeks (Advisor)
69 p.
Business Administration; Marketing
Influencer; influencer marketing; social media; social media influencer; parasocial relationship; sustainability; overconsumption; Gen Z; purchase behavior

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Grande, E. (2025). EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS AND PERSONAL SUSTAINABILITY NORMS OF GEN Z CONSUMERS [Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1745330789955923

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Grande, Emily. EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS AND PERSONAL SUSTAINABILITY NORMS OF GEN Z CONSUMERS. 2025. Ohio University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1745330789955923.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Grande, Emily. "EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS AND PERSONAL SUSTAINABILITY NORMS OF GEN Z CONSUMERS." Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University, 2025. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1745330789955923

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ouhonors1745330789955923
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© 2025, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University Honors Tutorial College and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12