This study examined the effects of perceived interactivity in survival audition programs on continuance intention and fandom formation among middle-aged viewers. Parasocial interaction and flow were included as mediating variables to analyze the psych...
This study examined the effects of perceived interactivity in survival audition programs on continuance intention and fandom formation among middle-aged viewers. Parasocial interaction and flow were included as mediating variables to analyze the psychological processes through which experiences of media interaction extend into behavioral engagement. A survey was conducted with 380 middle-aged participants aged 40–64 who had watched audition programs and engaged in media participation such as telephone voting, commenting, online bulletin board activities, and social media sharing. A serial mediation analysis was employed to test the proposed relationships.
The results showed that, in the model with continuance intention as the dependent variable, both the direct and indirect effects of perceived interactivity were significant, confirming a partial mediation structure. In contrast, in the model with fandom formation as the dependent variable, the direct effect of perceived interactivity was not significant, while only the indirect effects through the mediating variables were significant, indicating a complete mediation structure. These findings suggest that continuance viewing can be explained by perceived interactivity itself, whereas fandom formation requires psychological mediating processes such as relationship formation with performers and experiences of flow. This study examines interactivity not merely as a technical or functional attribute, but as a psychological mechanism that facilitates relationship formation and immersion between viewers and performers. While previous studies have addressed fandom phenomena among middle-aged audiences to a limited extent, empirical research analyzing the formation of middle-aged fandom through media interactivity has remained relatively limited. Middle-aged viewers are conceptualized as a generation that has experienced both the golden age of television broadcasting and the era of digital participatory media. They maintain television-based viewing while simultaneously engaging in digital media participation such as voting, commenting, and social media use. The findings indicate that fandom formation among middle-aged viewers is strengthened not by interactivity itself, but by the accumulation of parasocial relationships and flow. Furthermore, interaction design strategies that reflect the media use patterns and relationship-oriented characteristics of middle-aged audiences may serve as an important factor in sustaining continuance viewing and maintaining fandom.