Celebrity Worship Among Adolescents is Driven by Neuroticism, Avoidant Identity Style, and Need to Belong

Abstract

Media celebrities can exert significant influence on societal change, and adolescents are the most vulnerable population to such influence given that this is a period when personal identity-seeking starts to become increasingly important. However, there is a lack of research examining the factors that contribute to adolescents’ vulnerability to celebrity worship. The present study investigated the relationship between neuroticism, avoidant identity style, and celebrity worship among adolescents with a particular focus on mediating the role of the need to belong among a convenience sample of Iranian adolescents (N = 396; girls = 68%; age = 15.76 ± 1.99). Structural equation modeling showed that the association between avoidant identity style and celebrity worship was partially mediated by the need to belong, while the latter fully mediated the relationship between neuroticism and celebrity worship. The findings draw attention to the need to belong as an important factor underlying celebrity worship. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Keywords:

• Celebrity worship
• avoidant identity style
• neuroticism
• need to belong
• adolescents

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data supporting the present study’s findings are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Mehrane Pirzade

Mehrane Pirzade recently completed her Master’s studies in general psychology at Alzahra University of Iran. Her research interests include addictive behaviors and risky behaviors among adolescents. She is also interested in researching how trauma experienced as a child or adolescent affects behavioral addictions.

Mehrangiz Peyvastegar

Mehrangiz Peyvastegar is an Associate Professor at the Department of Clinical & General Psychology at the Alzahra University of Iran. She works as a psychotherapist and her area of expertise and the majority of her studies focus on children and adolescents. Her research interests include early maladaptive schemas, attachment styles, behavioral therapy, and risky behaviors in adolescents.

Mark D. Griffiths

Mark Griffiths is a Chartered Psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction at the Nottingham Trent University, and Director of the International Gaming Research Unit. He has spent 37 in the field and is internationally known for his work into gambling, gaming, and behavioral addictions. He has published over 1500 peer-reviewed research papers, six books, over 200 book chapters, and over 1500 other articles. He has won over national and international awards for his work including the John Rosecrance Prize (1994), Joseph Lister Prize (2004), US National Council on Problem Gambling Lifetime Research Award (2013), ISSBA Lifetime Achievement Award for the Study of Behavioral Addictions (2024).