False consensus in attitudes toward celebrities.

Abstract

The false-consensus effect for attitudes toward celebrities was investigated. Participants (N = 202; 149 women, 53 men) from a private university in Southern California completed an online survey where they identified their favorite celebrities and gave estimates of others' opinions regarding the participant's favorite celebrity. Regression analyses showed that estimates of others' recognition of the favorite celebrity significantly predicted participants' estimates of others' liking, favoring, and having similar feelings toward that celebrity (p < .001). However, participants' estimates of others' recognizing the celebrity did not predict others' dislike of the celebrity. False consensus was demonstrated in the significant differences between estimates of others' liking and others' disliking the favorite celebrity, regardless of even knowing said celebrity. Limitations of the study and practical implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)