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In today's celebrity‑ and influencer‑driven culture, psychologists are increasingly interested in why people form strong emotional connections with famous figures, finding that celebrity admiration is closely linked to how clearly people understand themselves.

A new international study led by researchers from Flinders University in Australia and researchers in Budapest suggests that people who feel less certain about who they are may look to celebrities to help find their identity. The paper, " Searching for the self in stardom: Investigating the associations between self-concept clarity, basic needs, and celebrity worship ," was published in Personality and Individual Differences .

Director of the Flinders Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Matthew Flinders Professor Zsolt Demetrovics, says the findings show celebrity worship is often less about fame itself and more about deeper questions of personal direction, autonomy and self‑understanding.

"Celebrity…