Study of over 1,000 people points to association between high levels of obsession with celebrity life and lower scores on cognitive tests . However, it remains unclear whether this fascination with cultural icons is a cause or a consequence of these reduced skills.
Nearly twenty years of research have produced mixed results on the relationship between celebrity worship and cognitive skills. According to some studies, cognitive performance tends to decrease with higher levels of celebrity worship. In contrast, other studies have found no association between these constructs.
As part of new research, the details of which are published in the journal BMC Psychology, a team wanted to extend previous work on this association. To do this, they applied Cattell's two-factor theory of intelligence on a sample of Hungarian adults.
For this study, researchers recruited 1,763 people (about two-thirds men, one-third women) for an online survey. All completed two intelligence subtests designed to measure abilities in vocabulary (vocabulary test) and number symbols (short digit symbol test). Participants also answered questions to place the cursor on the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and on the Celebrity Attitude Scale which aimed to define their level of obsession with celebrities.
The researchers determined three levels of obsession. That of "social entertainment" involved those whose interest in stars was limited to discussing their lives with friends. The second level, "intense-personal", involved compulsive thinking about celebrities, while the third level, "borderline pathological", involved people who could do anything, as long as their favorite celebrities asked.
Finally, subjective material wealth data, current family income, and general socio-demographic data were also reported.
After analysis of the results, there would indeed exist a direct association between the cult of celebrities and poorer performance on cognitive tests that cannot be explained by demographic and socioeconomic factors.
On the other hand, it remains difficult to explain it precisely . The authors posit that obsession with celebrities may impair cognitive abilities due to the intense level of focus and attention required to maintain this "one-sided emotional connection." People with higher levels of intelligence might additionally be less likely to idolize celebrities due to a greater ability to recognize "marketing strategies" responsible for glorifying these characters.
