A study conducted with over a thousand people highlights an association between high levels of obsession with celebrities’ lives and lower scores on cognitive tests. However, it remains difficult to determine if this fascination with cultural icons is a cause or consequence of reduced skills.
Nearly twenty years of research have produced mixed results on the relationship between celebrity worship and cognitive skills. Some studies suggest that cognitive performance tends to decrease with higher levels of celebrity worship. On the other hand, other studies have found no association between these constructs.
In a study published in the journal BMC Psychology, a team sought to build on previous work on this association. They applied Cattell’s two-factor theory of intelligence to a sample of Hungarian adults.
Clear Association
For this study, researchers recruited 1,763 people (about two-thirds men, one-third women) for an online survey. All participants completed two intelligence subtests designed to measure vocabulary skills (vocabulary test) and numerical symbol skills (short number-symbol test). Participants also answered questions to assess their self-esteem on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and their attitude towards celebrities on the Celebrity Attitude Scale to determine their level of obsession with celebrities.
Researchers identified three levels of obsession. The “social-entertainment” level involved those whose interest in celebrities was limited to discussing their lives with friends. The second level, “intense-personal,” involved compulsive reflection on celebrities, while the third level, “pathological limit,” involved individuals willing to do anything as long as their preferred celebrities asked.
Finally, subjective material wealth data, current family income, and general sociodemographic data were also noted.
After analyzing the results, there appeared to be a direct association between celebrity worship and poorer cognitive test performance that could not be explained by demographic and socioeconomic factors.
However, explaining this precisely remains difficult. The authors speculate that celebrity obsession may hinder cognitive abilities due to the intense level of focus and attention required to maintain this “unilateral emotional bond.” Additionally, individuals with higher intelligence levels may be less likely to idolize celebrities due to a greater ability to recognize the marketing strategies that glorify these figures.
