Admiring celebs may improve self-esteem

BUFFALO, N.Y., June 6 (UPI) -- Admiring celebrities can help improve self-esteem in those with low self-esteem, researchers at the University of Buffalo said.

Jaye L. Derrick and Shira Gabriel of the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, said that "connections" to celebrities -- or parasocial relationships -- can allow people with low-self esteem to view themselves more positively.

The researchers conducted three studies using approximately 100 undergraduate students each, to examine the relationship between self-esteem, parasocial relationship closeness and self-discrepancies.

Participants identified their favorite celebrity and described that celebrity in an open-ended essay. The researchers used the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to assess self-evaluations.

The study, published in Personal Relationships, found parasocial relationships can have self-enhancing benefits for low self-esteem people that they do not receive in real relationships.

These parasocial relationships, which have very low risk of rejection, offer low self-esteem people an opportunity to reduce their self-discrepancies and feel closer to their ideal selves, the researchers said.