New research published in behavioral science It suggests that people with certain egocentric but unstable personality traits tend to form intense, one-sided bonds with famous figures. This unrequited connection provides evidence of why these people are more likely to become overly attached to celebrities.
Extreme interest in public figures is becoming increasingly problematic in modern society. This behavior can range from simply having fun with friends to unhealthy obsessions that disrupt daily life. Psychologists often view this progression through the framework of absorption and addiction.
In this framework, people with a poorly developed sense of identity may use interest in celebrities as a coping mechanism. As they become addicted to the life of public figures, their behavior can become addictive and increasingly problematic.
The new study was conducted by Georgia Southern University psychology professors Lawrence Locker Jr. and Jeff Klivert, and the university’s criminal justice and criminology professor and professor Joshua L. Williams. They sought to explore how certain psychological conflicts can cause obsessive fan behavior.
“We were motivated by the fact that celebrity worship is becoming an increasingly problematic phenomenon. Although there is a growing body of evidence linking celebrity worship to negative outcomes such as poor mental health and narcissism, we realized that there were significant gaps in our understanding of the specific psychological mechanisms behind these associations,” the researchers told PsyPost.
“Our previous research has consistently shown that vulnerable narcissism, a subtype characterized by suffering, anxiety, and insecurity, is a stronger and more consistent predictor of celebrity worship than the grandiose subtype. We wanted to investigate whether parasocial relationship commitment, a one-sided, non-bidirectional connection, is the ‘missing link’ that explains why individuals with these personality traits are more likely to become obsessed with celebrities.”
To investigate this, researchers recruited 293 undergraduate students from universities in the southeastern United States. After excluding participants who failed the attention check or provided incomplete demographic data, the final sample consisted of 218 students. This group included 161 women and 57 men, with an average age of approximately 22 years.
The sample consisted primarily of individuals who identified as White, representing approximately 74 percent of the participants. About 22 percent identify as Black or African American, and 8 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino. The remaining participants identified themselves as Asian, Native American, Middle Eastern, or did not wish to identify themselves.
Scientists conducted an online survey in which participants first named their favorite celebrity or social media influencer. Participants were instructed to keep this particular celebrity in mind while completing a series of questionnaires. These studies measured three key concepts, including levels of vulnerable narcissism, one-sided relationship commitment, and overall attachment to extreme celebrities.
To measure extreme celebrity attachment, the study asked participants to rate their agreement with statements about their obsessive thoughts and behaviors toward the celebrity. In assessing vulnerable narcissism, participants were asked to rate their hidden feelings of shame, sensitivity to criticism, and feelings of resentment toward others. Finally, a measure of unilateral relationship commitment assessed the extent to which participants felt connected to a media figure and the extent to which they evaluated that person’s beliefs.
The researchers found that higher levels of vulnerable narcissism were strongly associated with higher levels of extreme celebrity attachment. Participants who scored high on vulnerable narcissism also tended to report a stronger commitment to a one-sided relationship with their chosen celebrity. Similarly, stronger commitment to these unilateral relationships was consistently associated with higher scores on excessive celebrity attachment.
When the scientists considered the variables together, they found that commitment to a one-sided relationship partially explained the association between vulnerable narcissism and excessive celebrity obsession. This suggests that people with vulnerable narcissistic traits tend to form deep and unrequited bonds with media personnel to cope with negative emotions. These imagined relationships appear to foster more obsessive and unhealthy attachments to celebrities.
The data also revealed that the strength of the link between vulnerable narcissism and extreme celebrity attachment depended on the fan’s level of commitment to the one-sided relationship.
“One particularly striking finding was that the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and celebrity worship actually disappeared at very low levels of parasocial involvement,” the researchers explained. “In other words, if a person does not feel a personal or emotional ‘bond’ with a media figure, their narcissistic traits do not necessarily lead to celebrity worship. This highlights that the one-sided ‘relationship’ element is not just a by-product, but an essential driver of this behavior.”
“Most importantly, for some people, attachment to celebrities acts as a maladaptive coping mechanism. Our study found that people with a poorly developed sense of self or who suffer from psychological distress, a trait often seen in people with high levels of vulnerable narcissism, may use these one-sided relationships to compensate for an unfulfilling social life and find a sense of purpose.”
“We demonstrated that the risk for problematic celebrity worship is highest when individuals have both high levels of vulnerable narcissism and a strong commitment to parasocial relationships,” the researchers continued. “In essence, a sense of personal ‘connection’ to a celebrity can drive a person from simple admiration to a more addictive and harmful level of absorption.”
Although these findings provide new insights, they also have limitations. This study is based on a specific convenience sample of primarily Caucasian female college students. This limits the ability to apply the findings to the general population, including people of different ages and cultural backgrounds.
“Readers should keep in mind that this is a cross-sectional, correlational study, meaning we cannot definitively say that vulnerable narcissism causes celebrity worship; all we know is that they are strongly associated,” the researchers noted.
“We also want to note the possibility that not all celebrity interest is ‘bad’. According to the absorptive addiction framework, celebrity interest exists on a continuum. It begins as a benign social or recreational interest and can only become maladaptive when it reaches an “intensely personal” or “borderline and pathological” level, with intrusive thoughts and even a willingness to participate in activities that are illegal for celebrities. ”
Future studies should aim to include a more diverse group of participants to see if the patterns hold true for different demographics. The researchers also plan to study people over longer periods of time to better track how these psychological traits and compulsive behaviors develop over time. Experimental studies can also help establish a clearer chain of cause and effect between variables.
“In particular, we want to know whether vulnerable narcissism leads to antisocial involvement, which in turn may lead to and enhance celebrity worship,” the researchers told SciPost. “We also believe it is important to investigate other potential mediators, such as anxiety, need for intimacy, and deficits in identity formation, to more fully understand why these attachments form.”
“It’s important to recognize that opportunities to form parasocial connections are rapidly increasing thanks to modern technology and social media. Understanding these underlying personality risks can help us better identify why some people go from being mere fans to those who suffer from maladaptive levels of absorption.”
The study, “Vulnerable Narcissism and Celebrity Worship: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Commitment to Parasocial Relationships,” was authored by Lawrence Locker Jr., Joshua L. Williams, and Jeff Klibert.
