Research Article | Open Access

Impact of Celebrity Worship on Body Image Concerns among Students: Role
of Cognitive Flexibility

    Najma I. Malik

    Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

    Maham Shahab

    Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

    Irsa Fatima Makhdoom

    Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan


The present study aimed to investigate the impact of celebrity worship on body image concerns and the role of cognitive flexibility among Students. A sample of N = 300 males (n = 150) and females (n = 150) young adults was recruited. The sample age ranged from 18-25 years, with intermediate a minimum education level. The research included the Celebrity Worship Scale (CWS) (Mccutcheon et al., 2002), Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI) (Littleton et al., 2005), and Cognitive Flexibility Scale (Martin & Rubin, 1995). Mediation analysis reveals that cognitive flexibility mediates between celebrity worship and body image concerns. The results explain that a significant effect can be seen between celebrity worship on body image concerns through cognitive flexibility. By virtue of the intermediary function of cognitive flexibility, interventions centered on enhancing cognitive flexibility can potentially mitigate the body image anxieties associated with celebrity adoration. The study has some limitations i.e. the sample is restricted to Sargodha division which could decrease the generalizability of the study. There is a suggestion to implicate larger sample. Moreover, the study population consists of only young adults. Future researchers should consider other age group as well.

How to Cite this paper?


APA-7 Style
I. Malik, N., Shahab, M., Makhdoom, I.F. (2024). Impact of Celebrity Worship on Body Image Concerns among Students: Role
of Cognitive Flexibility. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 39(3), 639-661. https://doi.org/10.33824/PJPR.2024.39.3.35

ACS Style
I. Malik, N.; Shahab, M.; Makhdoom, I.F. Impact of Celebrity Worship on Body Image Concerns among Students: Role
of Cognitive Flexibility. Pak. J. Psychol. Res 2024, 39, 639-661. https://doi.org/10.33824/PJPR.2024.39.3.35

AMA Style
I. Malik N, Shahab M, Makhdoom IF. Impact of Celebrity Worship on Body Image Concerns among Students: Role
of Cognitive Flexibility. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research. 2024; 39(3): 639-661. https://doi.org/10.33824/PJPR.2024.39.3.35

Chicago/Turabian Style
I. Malik, Najma , Maham Shahab, and Irsa Fatima Makhdoom. 2024. "Impact of Celebrity Worship on Body Image Concerns among Students: Role
of Cognitive Flexibility" Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research 39, no. 3: 639-661. https://doi.org/10.33824/PJPR.2024.39.3.35