A cross-sectional study to explore the association between parasocial interaction and big five personality traits toward K-wave/Hallyu

Abstract

Background:

Hallyu or Korean wave (K-wave) is the term used to describe diffusion and export of South Korean popular culture into the global market and includes music (K-pop), TV shows (K-drama), cuisine (K-cuisine), video games, and cartoons. The fandom for K-wave is increasing, but there is limited understanding on its parasocial relationships, personality traits, and media immersion (transportation) in the Indian context.

Aim:

To explore the relationship between parasocial behavior, big five personality traits, and transportation among young adult K-wave fans.

Materials and Methods:

This is a cross-sectional study conducted using Google forms, distributed through various social media platforms using the snowball technique with a sample size of 204 between ages 15 and 35 years. The scales used are Measure of Parasocial Relationships, Big five personality inventory, and Transportation scale – short form.

Results:

The mean age of the participants was 23.9 years. The majority were introduced by their friends (55.4%); the common platform for accessing the content is YouTube (42.6%). There was statistically significantly higher parasocial relationship exhibited by the female participants in all domains, except in the behavioral domain of MMPR. There was also a statistically significant moderate positive correlation between parasocial behavior and transportation.

Conclusion:

The study offers insightful information on the ways that personality qualities and K-wave content consumption affect parasocial interactions between Korean wave enthusiasts in India.

Hallyu or Korean wave (K-wave) is the term used to describe diffusion and export of South Korean popular culture into the global market. It includes Korean popular music (K-pop), TV shows (K-drama), Korean cuisine (K-cuisine), video games, and cartoons (comics). There is a phenomenal increase in consumption and widespread awareness among different geographical areas which could be attributed to rapid spread of digital revolution during the past decade.[1] K-wave fame can be attributed to some of the well acclaimed art works like ‘Gangnam style’ by rapper “Psy”, which gained 5 lakh views in the first 24 h in YouTube[2]; ‘Squid game’, which became the Netflix’s most watched series[3]; Movie ‘Parasite’, which bagged four Academy awards; and many more.[4]

The entry of K-pop’s into India can be traced back to 90’s when it was popular in Manipur; during that time, there was political turmoil, as a result of which Bollywood movies were banned and locals turned to Korean entertainment. With the pandemic-induced lockdown, the popularity increased and spread to different parts of the country.[5] There are also efforts from organizations like Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI),[6] Indo Korean (InKo)[7] center, and a few more which are trying to increase awareness and popularity of Korean-related content among Indians.

With the raising hit list of art collection and awareness regarding K-wave, the fan following is increasing across globe. A ‘Fan’ can be described as “Someone who admires and supports a person, sport etc.”[8] The degree to which the fans get involved with the details of the celebrity figure may vary; this interaction where the fan perceives with celebrity as an intimate conversational partner is called as ‘Parasocial interaction’. If the experience of interaction extends beyond just viewing the performance, then it is termed as ‘Parasocial relationship’.[9,10] Studies have tried to explore the understanding of parasocial interaction/relationship in relation to various celebrities like Michael Jackson,[11] Lord of the Rings,[12] and Harry Potter[13]. In the media culture, K-wave is relatively a new sensation, especially in India, and hence the understanding.

The literature exploring our understanding of why individuals get attracted toward K-wave, what kind of parasocial interaction/relationship exists, and how much they get involved into the K-drama/related content narrative (transportation) is not clear or less explored. The available literature focusing on these issues is mostly conducted on the western population which cannot be extrapolated to our setting. The current study is aimed to understand the parasocial interaction of fans toward K-wave among the youth and young adults. These are the ones who have easy access to the Internet and are easily influenced by media. The study also aims to explore whether there are any personality traits related to the parasocial interaction toward K-wave.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Methodology

The study was conducted as a cross-sectional observational study among individuals aged between 15 and 35 years. The study was started after getting Institution Ethics Committee clearance from ** blinded for the purpose of peer reviewing ** with Konaseema Institute of Medical Science and Research Foundation. (IEC letter no: 99/16.08.2023 sanctioned on 16^th August 2023). It was conducted using online Google forms, distributed through various social media platforms using the snowball technique. Individuals were allowed to participate after they gave informed consent and described themselves as fan to any of the K-wave (could be K-pop, K-drama, etc.). As the trend for the k-wave is ever changing, there were no studies reporting the prevalence of use among the ages of 15 to 35 years; hence, the sample size was estimated based on the previous studies.[14,15]

Tools

Sociodemogrphic questionnaire

It included questions about demographic details of the participants and a few questions regarding their association with K-wave and the celebrity to whom they are fan.

Multidimensional Measure of Parasocial Relationships (MMPR-18)

It is a self-report scale used to measure the individual’s attitude (affect, cognition, and behavior) and extent to which they are influenced in their daily life decisions toward a media celebrity (in the current study, it is K-wave celebrity). The Cronbach’s alpha for the total scale is 0.85. It has four dimensions: Affect, Behavior, Cognitive, and Decisional.[16]

Big five personality inventory (BFI-44)

It is to assess personality Big Five personality and is a 44-item self-rated scale. It gives the results in five subscales, which includes Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. The Cronbach’s α is 0.83, and the test–retest reliability is 0.80.[17,18]

Transportation scale – short form, TS-SF 6

Transportation in the context of the current study refers to experience of an individual being ‘transported’ into the narrative world, specifically to K-wave; participants were instructed to think about the work/art form (like K-drama or k-pop lyrics) of their favorite celebrity and answer the questions accordingly. Questions were modified according to the study objectives as per the instructions provided by the authors. The scale has a good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) and validity of 0.84 and 0.87, respectively.[19]

Statistical analysis

Analysis was conducted using R language[20] with R Studio[21] as integrated development environment (IDE) along with packages: ‘summary tools’, ‘plyr’, ‘ggpubr’, ‘gmodels’, ‘polycor’, ‘correlation’ and ‘see’. Descriptive analysis was done, and details were displayed in the form of frequencies and percentages. Normality was checked using Shapiro–Wilk test and found to be non-normally distributed. Association between more than two variables was checked using Kruskal–Wallis test, and correlation was checked using polychoric correlation (as one variable is in the ordinal form). The P value of less than 0.05 was considered a significant. Scatter plot was used to describe the relation between the parasocial behavior and transportation.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 23.9 years (a standard deviation of 4.6); the majority reported staying single (73.5%) and having completed their undergraduation (65.2%) [Table 1].

Table 1.

Sociodemographic details of the participants (n=204)

Variable	Attributes	Frequencies	Percentages
Age (years)	Minimum Maximum	14 36
	Median (IQR)	24 (5)
Sex	Male	22	10.8%
	Female	174	85.3%
	Prefer not to say	8	3.9%
Relationship status	Single	150	73.5%
	Married	25	12.3%
	In relation	29	14.2%
Highest education	School	14	6.9%
	Intermediate	16	7.8%
	Under graduation	133	65.2%
	Postgraduation	41	20.1%
Occupation	Student	144	70.6%
	Part time work	11	5.4%
	Employed	49	24%
Place of stay	Rural	39	19.1%
	Urban	165	80.9%

The majority were introduced by their friends (55.4%), the common platform for accessing the content is YouTube (42.6%), binge watching was reported by nearly one-fifth of the participants, and the commonly loved genre was romance with comedy (21.6%). Among the Korean-related things attracted other than K-wave were food followed by beauty care products. Two-thirds have attempted to learn Korean language, but only around one-third have reported attending online Korean activity (35.3%), creating and posting social media content on K-wave (32.4%), and tried to imitate Korean culture (42.6%). Many reasons have been cited for being attracted toward K-wave, but the common reasons were: attention to minute details in the story line/lyrics, uniqueness, being more colorful, concentration on the romantic storyline, less of melodrama, acting/talent capabilities of the actors, and so on. The most commonly liked K-pop band was Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), actor was Lee Min Ho, and actress was Song Joong Ki [Table 2].

Table 2.

Details related to K-wave or Hallyu use among the participants

K-wave/Hallyu use-related question	Attributes	Frequency (percentage)
How were you introduced to K-wave content?	Friends	113 (55.4%)
	Online/Self exploration	59 (28.9%)
	Social media	32 (15.7%)
Medium of accessing the content	Wire connection	1 (0.5%)
	Online streaming	58 (28.4%)
	OTT platform	58 (28.4%)
	YouTube	87 (42.6%)
Time spent daily	Less than 1/2 h	22 (10.8%)
	1/2 h to 1 h	46 (22.5%)
	1 h to 2 h	45 (22.1%)
	More than 2 h	48 (23.5%)
	Binge watch	43 (21.1%)
With whom the content is watched or listened	Alone	152 (74.5%)
	Family members	18 (8.8%)
	Friends	34 (16.7%)
Persuaded family members/siblings/friends to watch or listen	Yes	163 (79.9%)
	No	41 (20.1%)
Common genre watched	RomCom	44 (21.6%)
	Thriller	23 (11.3%)
	Romance	21 (10.3%)
Attracted to other Korean-related things	Yes	166 (81.3%)
	No	38 (18.6%)
Participated in online K-wave events	Yes	72 (32.3%)
	No	132 (64.7%)
Tried to learn Korean language	Yes	158 (77.5%)
	No	46 (22.5%)
Tried imitating K-pop/ K-drama/culture	Yes	87 (42.6%)
	No	117 (57.4%)
Create and post K-wave-related content	Yes	66 (32.4%)
	No	138 (67.6%)

There was statistically significantly higher parasocial relationship exhibited by the female participants in all domains {affective (P value = 0.044), cognitive (P value = 0.018), decisional (P value = 0.005), total (P value = 0.046)}, except in the behavioral domain (P value = 0.118) of MMPR. Similarly in the emotion domain of transportation, female participants have statistically significant (P value = 0.002) association compared to males [Table 3].

Table 3.

Gender-wise distribution of the multidimensional measurement of parasocial relationship (MMPR), Big five inventory (BFI), and Transportation behavior (TSSF)

Variable$	Attributes (frequencies)	Male	Female	Fischer’s exact test value	P
MMPR- Affective domain	Low	10	39	10.00	0.044*
	Middle	8	72
	High	4	63
MMPR- Behavioral	Low	11	66	6.34	0.118
	Middle	8	77
	High	3	31
MMPR- Cognitive	Low	7	22	11.33	0.018*
	Middle	11	66
	High	4	86
MMPR- Decisional	Low	12	51	15.87	0.005*
	Middle	8	88
	High	2	35
MMPR-Total	Low	11	44	9.54	0.046*
	Middle	8	93
	High	3	37
Variable%	Male (median, IQR)	Female (median, IQR)		Kruskal–Wallis test	P
Openness	3.65 (1.05)	3.65 (0.57)		40.13	0.020*
Conscientiousness	3.11 (0.52)	3.22 (0.88)		30.47	0.207
Extraversion	2.87 (1.15)	3 (1)		26.39	0.551
Agreeableness	3.55 (0.63)	3.77 (0.77)		22.55	0.546
Neuroticism	3.31 (0.81)	3.25 (1)		22.16	0.728
Transportation-emotion	4.5 (4)	6 (1)		20.22	0.002*

Tests used: ^$Fischer’s exact test; % Kruskal–Wallis test; *P<0.05 is significant

There was statistically significant parasocial behavior exhibited by participants who have reported participating in online K-wave events (P value < 0.001), learning Korean language (P value = 0.009), imitating K-wave content (P value < 0.001), and creating as well as posting K-wave content (P value < 0.001) in all domains of MMPR scale [Table 4].

Table 4.

Comparison of total MMPR scores with the K-wave-related questions

MMPR total scores	Attributes	Low	Middle	High	Fischer’s exact test value	P
Participated in online K-wave events	Yes	9	35	28	25.61	<0.001*
	No	46	71	15
Tried to learn Korean language	Yes	37	81	40	9.29	0.009*
	No	18	25	3
Tried imitating K-pop/K-drama/culture	Yes	10	51	26	20.33	<0.001*
	No	45	55	17
Create and post K-wave-related content	Yes	6	31	29	36.21	<0.001*
	No	49	75	14

Test used: Fischer’s exact test; *P<0.05 is significant

There was statistically significant transportation behavior reported by participants who are actively participating in online K-wave events (P value = 0.030), learning Korean language (P value < 0.001), imitating K-wave content (P value = 0.001), and creating as well as posting K-wave content (P value = 0.020), in all domains of transportation scale [Table 5].

Table 5.

Comparison of total transportation score with the K-wave-related questions

MMPR total scores	Attributes	Median (IQR)	Kruskall–Wallis test	P
Participated in online K-wave events	Yes	5.50 (1.54)	44.86	0.030*
	No	5 (1.66)
Tried to learn Korean language	Yes	5.33 (1.66)	66.77	<0.001*
	No	4.25 (1.95)
Tried imitating K-pop/K-drama/culture	Yes	5.50 (1.50)	57.94	0.001*
	No	5 (1.66)
Create and post K-wave-related content	Yes	5.75 (1.33)	46.50	0.020*
	No	5 (1.62)

Test used: Kruskall–Wallis test; *P<0.05 is significant

There was a statistically significant moderate positive correlation between parasocial behavior and transportation (P value = 0.017). Also, there was a mild positive correlation between parasocial behavior and extraversion personality trait in the participants (P value = 0.043) [Table 6 and Figure 1].

Table 6.

Correlation of Big five inventory and Transportation scores with the MMPR scores

Correlation with variable	rho	Chi-square value	P
Openness	0.222	61.85	0.071
Conscientiousness	0.078	45.45	0.618
Extraversion	0.181	74.12	0.043*
Agreeableness	0.111	51.32	0.308
Neuroticism	0.065	61.12	0.207
Transportation	0.490	81.76	0.017*

Test used: Polychoric correlation; *P<0.05 is significant

Figure 1.

Correlation between MMPR and transportation scores

DISCUSSION

The research on the influence of personality traits on parasocial interactions among Korean wave fans in India is limited; the current study explores this relationship. The median age group participating in the study was around 24 years and the majority were students, highlighting that the younger population have higher engagement with digital media and entertainment. These findings are in line with a study conducted by Wong[22] among the world population. Most of the participants were introduced to K-wave through friends indicating the word of mouth has an important way of popularizing. YouTube was the most common platform for consuming the content, and global studies also indicate the same.[23,24] The majority of the participants binge watch the content, probably indicating its engaging nature, and some of the reasons could be attention to minute details in the story line/lyrics, uniqueness, being more colorful, concentration on the romantic storyline, and less of melodrama.

Women report higher levels of affective parasocial relationships and a cognitive domain of parasocial relationships; the decisional domain shows significant differences as well. The scores were significantly higher in females, reinforcing the pattern that women generally have more intense parasocial relationships.[25] These findings suggest that females might experience stronger emotional connections with media figures and engage more deeply with media content on a cognitive level.[26] They are more likely to make decisions or changes based on their parasocial relationships, suggesting that women might be more emotionally and cognitively invested in media figures due to societal, cultural, or individual differences.[27] According to a study conducted by Topić,[28] personality traits have more association with transportation when compared to parasocial interactions, but according to our study, parasocial interactions play a role too. Females report a higher level of emotional transportation as women might experience media content more emotionally, which could correlate with their higher levels of parasocial engagement.

Individuals who participated in online K-wave events have attempted to learn Korean language; those engaged in imitation behaviors, such as emulating K-pop dance routines or fashion, and involved in creating and sharing K-wave-related content have a higher MMPR score and higher levels of transportation. This suggests that engagement with K-wave content, such as live events or online activities, is associated with stronger parasocial relationships as active involvement in the K-wave community enhances emotional and cognitive connections with K-wave media figures. Learning the language might deepen the connection with K-wave media,[29] possibly by making the content more accessible and engaging, thus fostering stronger parasocial relationships. Active participation through imitation could form stronger parasocial interaction by increasing personal investment and identification with K-wave media figures.[30] Creating content related to K-wave media may reflect a high level of involvement and emotional connection, which translates into more intense parasocial relationships. Having higher levels of transportation indicates that more immersive and interactive experiences lead to greater media involvement. The cultural and linguistic immersion can lead to a stronger emotional connection with media content.

The positive correlation between extraversion and parasocial relationship suggests that extroverted individuals are more likely to develop intense parasocial relationships.[31] This aligns with the idea that extroverted people might be more engaged with media content and media figures, seeking out and forming stronger connections. The correlation between transportation and parasocial relationship underscores the importance of emotional and cognitive immersion in media content. Higher transportation is associated with stronger parasocial relationships, suggesting that the more involved individuals feel with media, the more intense. The lack of significant correlations for openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism suggests that these traits might not have a substantial impact on parasocial relationships, or the relationships are more complex and may not be captured by simple correlations.

Limitations

The study is not without limitations. The notable ones are that females constituted the majority of the sample, and it could be because more k-wave content is watched by them, but this needs exploration. There is a possibility of recall bias as the participants were asked to recollect the information. Being a cross-sectional study, the study cannot clarify certain facts, which could be better understood using a qualitative study.

CONCLUSIONS

The study offers insightful information on the ways that personality qualities and K-wave content consumption affect parasocial interactions among Korean wave enthusiasts in India. The results show that younger people—students in particular—are very interested in digital media and entertainment, with YouTube acting as a main distribution channel for K-pop content. The findings support the body of research showing that, in comparison to males, women typically have more intense parasocial relationships on an emotional and cognitive level. Higher levels of emotional and cognitive engagement with media content may be the cause of this. Moreover, stronger parasocial ties are linked to imitation behaviors, content production, learning Korean, and actively participating in K-wave events. These activities strengthen the emotional and cognitive bonds that people have with media characters, demonstrating how increased immersion heightens the intensity of parasocial interactions. Additionally, the study reveals a strong correlation between extraversion and the strength of parasocial relationships, indicating that those who are more outgoing are likely to form closer bonds with celebrities.

Authors’ contributions

VSH was involved in the conceptualization and design of the study, definition of intellectual content, literature search, data acquisition, manuscript preparation, editing, and review.

RKD contributed to the study design, definition of intellectual content, literature search, data analysis, statistical analysis, manuscript preparation, editing, and review. Additionally, they serve as the guarantor of the study.

MAS contributed to the definition of intellectual content, literature search, and manuscript editing and review.

All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethical statement

Study was approved by IEC of Konaseema Institute of Medical Science and Research Foundation (vide letter no: 99/16.08.2023).

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Patients’ consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants. They were informed about the nature and objectives of the research, and their anonymity and confidentiality were ensured. Written consent was obtained prior to data collection.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Funding Statement

Nil.