The absorption-addiction model of celebrity worship: in search of a broader theoretical foundation

A large body of evidence suggests that some people have a strong, obsessive attachment to a favorite celebrity. The absorption-addiction model attempts to account for this extreme attachment, sometimes labeled “celebrity worship.” According to the model, a small portion of celebrity admirers (“celebrity worshipers”) become absorbed in the personal lives of celebrities to compensate for perceived personal or social deficiencies. The purpose of this study is to examine how the absorption-addiction model relates to broader psychological theories that include non-celebrity contexts. Specifically, we examine how the absorption-addiction model relates to three theories: empty-self theory, extremism theory, and the dualistic model of passion.

Participants (N = 399; 77.94% women, M_age = 19.91 years, SD = 3.24) completed an online questionnaire measuring attraction to favorite celebrities. Constructs representing the three broader theories were compared to a measure of attraction to one’s favorite celebrity.

Sense of emptiness, obsessive passion, and extremism were positively associated with celebrity attraction. The strongest association was found with extremism, though the effect was moderate.

These findings suggest that extremism theory is the best fit of the three broader theories explaining celebrity worship, although its contribution to understanding celebrity worship is modest.