Searching for the self in stardom: Investigating the associations between self-concept clarity, basic needs, and celebrity worship

Celebrity admiration has become a growing topic of interest in personality and health psychology. Previous studies suggest a negative association between self-concept clarity (SCC) and tendencies toward celebrity worship (CW). Building on this knowledge, the present study investigated the direct and indirect associations between SCC and CW across two studies, considering the possible role of basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration (BPNSFS) in the relationship. In Study 1 ( N = 769; 51.11% men, M _age = 36.38 years, SD = 13.36), the direct association between SCC and CW was investigated in a sample of fans derived from a representative sample of Hungarian adults. Study 2 ( N = 1046; 80.30% women, M _age = 35.65 years, SD = 14.44) further explored this association by considering possible indirect associations through BPNSFS. Lower SCC was associated with higher levels of CW in Study 1, particularly regarding the intense–pathological dimension. Study 2 confirmed this relationship, revealing that autonomy need frustration partially contributed to the explanation of the link between lower SCC and the entertainment-social dimension of CW. The pattern of findings is consistent with the Absorption-Addiction Model.