{
  "id": 7839279,
  "title": "New psychology research links obsessive celebrity worship to criminal thinking",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/new-psychology-research-links-obsessive-celebrity-worship-to-criminal",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-16T18:00:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-links-obsessive-celebrity-worship-to-criminal-thinking/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study published in Deviant Behavior suggests a strong correlation between obsessive celebrity worship and criminal thinking patterns, particularly among individuals with vulnerable narcissism. The research, led by Joshua L. Williams of Georgia Southern University and his colleagues, aimed to explore how these two elements interact.\n\nCelebrity worship is characterized by an intense, one-sided attachment to a public figure, ranging from casual enjoyment to extreme, obsessive behavior. This behavior exists on a spectrum, with mild cases being more about entertainment and extreme cases involving a fixation that interferes with daily functioning.\n\nNarcissism, a personality trait marked by an excessive focus on oneself, plays a pivotal role in the development of these obsessions. Narcissism is divided into two subtypes: grandiose and vulnerable. Grandiose narcissists tend to be arrogant and self-assured, while vulnerable narcissists experience deep insecurities, anxiety, and a constant fear of inadequacy.\n\nThe study recruited 237 undergraduate students from a southeastern U.S. university, with an average age of 21 and a predominantly female demographic. Through an online survey, participants completed psychological questionnaires to assess their levels of celebrity worship, as well as their vulnerable and grandiose narcissism, along with six categories of criminal thinking, such as a desire for power and insensitivity to the impact of crimes on others.\n\nThe findings revealed that vulnerable narcissism was significantly associated with higher levels of celebrity worship. Participants who were more anxious, insecure, and socially avoidant tended to obsess over their favorite celebrities more intensely. In contrast, grandiose narcissism showed no statistical link to celebrity worship.\n\nFurthermore, both forms of narcissism were linked to criminal thinking, but the patterns differed. Grandiose narcissism was primarily associated with a desire for power, a sense of personal grandiosity, and a lack of sensitivity to the harm caused by crimes to victims. On the other hand, vulnerable narcissism was associated with a broader range of antisocial attitudes, suggesting that individuals with this subtype of narcissism are more likely to justify rule-breaking behavior.",
  "summary": "A new study reveals that an intense, borderline-pathological obsession with celebrities is strongly linked to vulnerable narcissism and criminal thinking patterns. However, casual celebrity fandom is actually associated with more pro-social, law-abiding attitudes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}