New study links celebrity worship to narcissism, materialism, and perceived similarity

A new study published in the International Journal of Psychology has found that people who strongly admire celebrities tend to score higher in both materialistic values and narcissistic traits—particularly a more insecure and emotionally sensitive form of narcissism. The study also found that people who see themselves as similar to their favorite celebrity are more likely to have these attitudes. Among all the factors examined, feeling similar to a celebrity was one of the strongest predictors of celebrity worship.

The study was conducted by Caitlin Davis, a graduate student at Ball State University; Lawrence Locker Jr., Ph.D., professor of psychology at Georgia Southern University; and Joshua L. Williams, Ph.D., professor and chair of criminal justice and criminology at Georgia Southern University. They examined the relationships between celebrity worship, narcissism, and materialism, as well as how perceived similarity to a favorite celebrity relates to these traits.

“Over the course of the last several decades, celebrity worship has increased significantly. Since researchers have started examining celebrity worship empirically, we know that as attitudes and behaviors associated with celebrity worship become more extreme, the associated negative mental health consequences also tend to become more prevalent (e.g., anxiety, stress, depression, etc.),” the researchers told PsyPost.

“Given the potential harmful impact of engaging in celebrity worship, we believe it is important to empirically examine the complex relationships between celebrity worship and overall general well-being. This is especially true given the contemporary circumstances in which anyone can have on-demand access to the various aspects of their favorite celebrity’s life via a wide range of social media outlets.”

“In this particular study, we wanted to provide an updated perspective on research that linked celebrity worship with narcissism and materialism published several years ago through the exploration of the relative importance perceived similarity with one’s favorite celebrity may have with those relationships.”

Ultimately, our focus on incorporating perceived similarity with one’s favorite celebrity into the research was to further explore the nature of celebrity worship in hopes of providing some potential mechanisms to better understand the sometimes deep, and potentially problematic, connection with a celebrity.”

One of the tools frequently used in this research is the Celebrity Attitude Scale, which evaluates how strongly a person is absorbed with a celebrity. This scale ranges from low levels of admiration—such as following a celebrity’s work for entertainment—to more intense and potentially problematic levels, such as obsessively thinking about the celebrity or even expressing willingness to do illegal things for them. The new study aimed to explore how this kind of admiration relates to narcissism and materialism, and whether people who feel a personal resemblance to their favorite celebrity are more likely to be affected.

To investigate these questions, the researchers recruited 215 undergraduate students from a university in the southeastern United States. Participants were mostly women, with a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Each student completed a battery of questionnaires that measured their attitudes toward celebrities, materialistic values, and narcissistic traits. They also answered newly created questions that assessed how similar they felt to their favorite celebrity in terms of personality, appearance, or lifestyle.

Celebrity worship was assessed with the Celebrity Attitude Scale, which includes subscales for social and entertainment interest, emotional attachment, and more extreme or obsessive thoughts and behaviors. Materialism was measured using a scale that examined how much value people place on owning things, how important possessions are to their identity, and whether they believe material goods make them happier. Narcissism was measured in two forms: grandiose narcissism (which is characterized by confidence, entitlement, and dominance) and vulnerable narcissism (which involves anxiety, hypersensitivity to criticism, and a preoccupation with self-image).

The results showed a consistent relationship between celebrity worship and materialism. People who scored higher on celebrity worship also tended to place greater importance on money, status, and possessions. This was especially true for those who reported more intense or obsessive admiration for celebrities. The researchers noted that this connection aligns with past findings and suggests that people may turn to both celebrity culture and materialism as ways to cope with emotional insecurity or low self-worth.

When it came to narcissism, the findings were more nuanced. Only the vulnerable form of narcissism was significantly related to celebrity worship. People with higher levels of emotional insecurity and self-focus were more likely to feel strongly connected to celebrities. Grandiose narcissism, which is associated with charm and assertiveness, did not show a significant relationship with celebrity admiration in this sample. This contrasts with some earlier studies but matches other recent work suggesting that vulnerable narcissism may be more relevant to parasocial attachments.

Both types of narcissism were linked to materialism, although in different ways. People with grandiose traits were more likely to value possessions for the status and prestige they bring, while those with vulnerable traits showed stronger associations with using material goods to feel happier or more secure. The researchers pointed out that although the motivations may differ, both forms of narcissism appear to contribute to a focus on acquiring possessions.

One of the most important findings from the study was the role of perceived similarity to celebrities. Participants who believed they were like their favorite celebrity—whether in appearance, behavior, or personality—were more likely to score higher on measures of celebrity worship. This connection held even when controlling for materialism and narcissism. In fact, perceived similarity emerged as one of the strongest predictors of celebrity worship overall. It also had a modest relationship with materialism, especially when participants believed their similarities were related to success or status.

“Although there have been a few prior studies that addressed different aspects of imitation of celebrities that drove us to develop the perceived similarity, we were surprised at just how well it predicted celebrity worship relative to other variables in the study,” the researchers said.

These findings support earlier research suggesting that people often imitate celebrities they admire or believe they resemble. For instance, past studies have found that fans of performers like Elvis Presley not only adopted his style and values but also reported feeling deeply connected to his identity.

Other studies have shown that young people who watch more media content and compare themselves to celebrities are more likely to adopt materialistic values. The current study adds to this body of work by providing new evidence that feeling similar to a celebrity—either because of shared traits or through imitation—plays an important role in the development of parasocial bonds.

The study researchers statistical models to test whether different factors predicted celebrity worship and materialism when considered together. When all variables were included in the analysis, vulnerable narcissism and perceived similarity stood out as the only significant predictors of celebrity worship. For materialism, both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism predicted higher scores, with vulnerable narcissism having a stronger effect.

“Ultimately, the results of this study continue to highlight that celebrity worship is a complex construct, but we believe that perceived similarity with a favorite celebrity and vulnerable narcissism may be fruitful avenues for future research.”

There are some limitations. The sample was drawn from a single university and was mostly composed of young women, which limits the generalizability of the results. Future research could include more diverse groups across age, gender, and cultural backgrounds. It would also be helpful to explore how accurate people’s perceptions of similarity to celebrities actually are, and whether those perceptions change over time as admiration deepens.

The researchers also suggested that future studies could investigate the direction of these relationships. It is not yet clear whether people are drawn to celebrities they already feel similar to, or if they begin to see themselves as similar after becoming emotionally attached. Another promising direction would be to examine collective narcissism—how people’s admiration for celebrities might reflect pride in a shared group identity, such as nationality, gender, or race.

The study, “Celebrity Worship and Materialism: A Focus on Narcissism and Perceived Similarity With a Celebrity,” was authored by Caitlin Davis, Lawrence Locker Jr., and Joshua L. Williams.