Mapping the Links Between Celebrity Worship and Subjective Well-Being in Chinese Undergraduates via Network Analysis

Abstract

Celebrity worship has become a pervasive phenomenon among Chinese undergraduates, yet its psychological mechanisms remain unclear. This cross-sectional study recruited 1103 Chinese undergraduate students via convenience sampling. Data on celebrity worship and subjective well-being were collected using the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). To investigate the internal structure of celebrity worship and its relationship with subjective well-being, a network analysis approach was employed. The resulting networks revealed that 72.33% of possible edges among worship items were non-zero, indicating dense interconnectivity. Entertainment–social behaviors—particularly “obsessed by details of the celebrity’s life”—formed the most central nodes, whereas borderline-pathological beliefs emerged as the pivotal hub when well-being variables were integrated. BP displayed the strongest negative connection with shame and served as the primary bridge linking worship to reduced life satisfaction and heightened negative affect. Bootstrap analyses confirmed robust stability. These findings shift research from a global “total-score” to a “systems” paradigm, highlighting BP cognitions as high-priority targets for cognitive-reappraisal interventions to prevent the escalation from healthy enthusiasm to pathological obsession.