When fandom becomes a problem: Development of the Problematic Celebrity Fanship Scale
There has been considerable research interest in the personality characteristics and mental health of individuals showing excessive levels of celebrity admiration. However, the conceptualization and measurement of potentially problematic levels of engagement with celebrities remain unclear. This study introduces and operationalizes the concept of problematic celebrity fanship within the theoretical framework of behavioral addictions.
Sample: The tendency to follow admired celebrities has generated much research attention in the past two decades (1). Although there is a lack of consensus on how to conceptualize and operationalize the socio-emotional relationship between celebrities and fans, studies suggest that some individuals are more prone to becoming attracted to an admired celebrity than others (2, 3). Drawing on the phenomena of parasocial relationships (i.e., one-sided socioemotional intimacies between viewers and media figures, usually viewed as positive bonds; 4, 5) and fan motivations (6), celebrity worship has been conceptualized as an excessive parasocial engagement with an admired celebrity, comprising healthy behaviors (e.g., seeking the company of individuals sharing the same enthusiasm for a celebrity), which can sometimes progress into problematic levels of engagement (e.g., feeling compelled to learn the personal habits of a celebrity 2, 3). Problematic or excessive levels of celebrity worship are often characterized by impulsive and compulsive features on affective, cognitive, and behavioral levels, which have been associated with poor mental health and weak social relationships (1). The present study seeks to re-conceptualize and operationalize problematic levels of celebrity fanship within the current theoretical framework of behavioral addictions (7, 8). Existing measures of celebrity attitudes lack a clear distinction between mild and extreme forms of celebrity attraction. For example, the Idol Worship Questionnaire (9) and the Expression of Idolization Scale (10) assess both general and extreme expressions of fanship without a clear distinction between healthy and unhealthy engagement with a celebrity. Moreover, the terms “worship” and “idolization” suggest excessive engagement even for mild levels of interest in a celebrity. Therefore, the present authors use a more neutral term, “celebrity fanship,” to describe broader levels of fan engagement. The most ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS 8 Problematic Celebrity Fanship Scale.
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Springer / BMC Psychology / Ágnes Zsila, Lynn E. McCutcheon, Reza Shabahang, Mara S. Aruguete, Róbert Urbán, Ágnes Buvár, Rita Horváth & Zsolt Demetrovic