Research Replicates Finding: Lower IQ Correlates with Pathological Celebrity Attitudes

A recent statement by public intellectual and psychology researcher Rob Henderson has drawn attention to a replicated finding suggesting a correlation between lower IQs and pathological attitudes towards celebrities. Henderson, known for his work on social class and human nature, highlighted that individuals with lower cognitive abilities often harbor beliefs of deep, hidden connections with their favorite celebrities, expecting personal engagement if they were to meet.

This assertion aligns with a comprehensive Hungarian study published in November 2021 by researchers Lynn E. McCutcheon, Ágnes Zsila, and Zsolt Demetrovics in the journal BMC Psychology. The study involved 1,763 Hungarian adults, assessing their cognitive performance through vocabulary and numeracy tests and their level of celebrity worship using the Celebrity Attitude Scale. The scale categorizes worship into three levels: Entertainment-Social, Intense-Personal, and Borderline-Pathological.

The research found a weak but consistent negative association: higher scores on celebrity worship dimensions were linked to lower performance on cognitive tests. This relationship persisted even after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors such as education and material wealth. The study noted that "deeper involvement with a celebrity may be directly associated with poorer performance in tasks requiring attention and focus," possibly due to the cognitive effort expended on maintaining a "one-sided emotional bond."

Rob Henderson's tweet directly quoted the core finding, stating, > "People with lower IQs tend to have pathological attitudes toward celebrities. They believe if they meet their favorite celebrities, these celebrities would enjoy speaking with them, and that they'd have deep hidden connections. We replicated this finding."

While the study indicates a correlation, it emphasizes that more research is needed to determine causality—whether celebrity obsession leads to lower cognitive performance or if individuals with lower cognitive abilities are more susceptible to celebrity worship. The authors suggest that those with higher cognitive skills might be more adept at recognizing the marketing strategies behind celebrity personas, potentially leading to less intense admiration.