Relationship Between Intense Personal Celebrity Worship and Cosmetic Surgery Consideration Among Chinese Young Women: The Serial Mediating Effects of Body Dissatisfaction and Body Shame

J Genet Psychol. 2025 Jan 21:1-12. doi: 10.1080/00221325.2025.2453711. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

This study examined whether intense personal feelings toward celebrities are positively correlated with women's consideration of cosmetic surgery, and whether body dissatisfaction and body shame serve as possible mediators of this relationship. A sample of 605 Chinese female undergraduates completed questionnaires on celebrity worship, consideration of cosmetic surgery, body dissatisfaction, and body shame. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between intense personal feelings toward celebrities and the consideration of cosmetic surgery. Moreover, this association was mediated both independently by body shame and sequentially by body dissatisfaction and body shame. These findings provide new insights into the relationship between celebrity worship and the consideration of cosmetic surgery.

Keywords: Celebrity worship; body dissatisfaction; body image; body shame; cosmetic surgery consideration.