| Increasingly, we live in a celebrity-oriented culture which to some degree makes fans of most, if not all, of us. Nevertheless, the dynamics of celebrity worship, and fans themselves, have been poorly understood. Despite its popular appeal, the subject of fans has been largely ignored in the psychological literature. Fortunately, this is no longer the case, and psychologists are beginning to utilize empirical research to illuminate the characteristics and behaviors of fans, or celebrity worshippers. This dissertation attempts to discuss and to integrate the findings of this new research. A review of the assessment measures used to study fans is included, along with a discussion of the personality attributes and cognitive profiles of celebrity worshippers. The dissertation also addresses the dynamics of celebrity worship and the developmental uses of celebrity attachment. Dangerous fans, those who stalk celebrities, are also discussed, and special attention is given to differentiating stalker subtypes and to recognizing those most likely to approach their victims. Finally, this dissertation explores the clinical implications of the new research on fans, and suggestions are made regarding directions for future research. |
