The Impact of Idol Worship on Chinese Undergraduate Students' Self-Identity: Mediated by Group Belongingness
Abstract
As Chinese undergraduates face increasing academic, career, and social pressures, developing a stable self-identity is a significant challenge. Understanding factors that may support self-identity development, such as idol worship, is important for promoting mental health and social adjustment among students. This study explored the impact of idol worship on the self-identity of Chinese undergraduate students, focusing on the mediating role of group belongingness. A quantitative survey was conducted among 164 Chinese undergraduate students exhibiting idol worship behaviors, using convenience sampling. The minimum required sample size was calculated using G*Power 3.1 (68 participants) to ensure adequate statistical power, and 164 valid responses were analyzed for reliability. Participants completed scales measuring idol worship, group belongingness, and self-identity, and data were analyzed using SPSS. The results showed that idol worship was positively associated with self-identity, with group belongingness partially mediating this relationship and enhancing students’ self-identity. These findings indicate that idol worship can support self-identity development through social connectedness, while excessive engagement may pose potential risks. This study deepens the understanding of undergraduate students’ idol worship culture and its psychological mechanisms and provides a reference for related educational and psychological counseling practices.
References
Ashforth, B. E., & Mael, F. (1989). Social identity theory and the organization. Academy of management review, 14(1), 20-39. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4278999
Bandura, A., & Walters, R. H. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Cheek, J. M., & Briggs, S. R. (1982). Self-consciousness and aspects of identity. Journal of research in personality, 16(4), 401-408.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(82)90001-0
Chen, D. (2020). Implication of idol personality, fan club’s self-identity, and group cohesiveness on Chinese fan club’s worship behavior: A case study of Wang Yibo fan club [Master’s thesis]. Bangkok University.
http://dspace.bu.ac.th/jspui/handle/123456789/4755
Chen, K. H., Lei, G. L., & Wu, Y. Z. (2005). Developmental differences in the content and crisis exploration of self-identity among adolescents at different stages. Chinese Journal of Psychology, 47(3), 249-268. https://doi.org/10.6129/CJP.2005.4703.04
Cheung, C. K., & Yue, X. D. (2011). Pentangular Dimensions of Chinese Adolescents’ Idol Worship. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 16(3), 225-244. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2011.9748058
Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). Norton.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity youth and crisis. WW Norton & company.
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A. G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G* Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior research methods, 41(4), 1149-1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149
Freud, S. (1975). Group psychology and the analysis of the ego. W. W. Norton & Company.
Giles, D. C. (2002). Parasocial interaction: A review of the literature and a model for future research. Media Psychology, 4(3), 279-305.
https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0403_04
Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Doubleday.
Grotevant, H. D. (1987). Toward a process model of identity formation. Journal of adolescent research, 2(3), 203-222. https://doi.org/10.1177/074355488723003
Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press.
He, Q. R. (2014). The Study on Self-identity of Yunnan Unique Minority Nationality Adolescents [Doctoral dissertation]. Fudan University.
https://kns.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbname=CDFDLAST2015&filename=1015410850.nh
He, Y., & Liu, Q. (2024). The excessive celebrity worship behavior questionnaire: Chinese scale development and validation. Plos one, 19(5), e0303683.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303683
Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture's consequences: International differences in work-related values (Vol. 5). sage.
Horton, D., & Wohl, R. R. (1956). Mass communication and para-social interaction: Observations on intimacy at a distance. Psychiatry, 19(3), 215-229. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.1956.11023049
Hu, Y. N., & Xu, C. (2020). Media Perception and Cultural Interpretation of Youth Circle Pulse: A Narrative Analysis Based on the Phenomenon of Rice Circle. Chinese Journal of Youth Studies, (11), 70-79+93. https://doi.org/10.19633/j.cnki.11-2579/d.2020.0166.
Jetten, J., Haslam, S. A., & Haslam, C. (2012). The case for a social identity analysis of health and well-being. In The social cure (pp. 3-19). Psychology Press.
Lambert, N. M., Stillman, T. F., Hicks, J. A., Kamble, S., Baumeister, R. F., & Fincham, F. D. (2013). To belong is to matter: Sense of belonging enhances meaning in life. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 39(11), 1418-1427. https://doi.org/10.1177/014616721349918
Levesque, R. J. (Ed.). (2011). Encyclopedia of adolescence. Springer Science & Business Media.
Li, B. L., & Dong, X. W. (2024). Socialist core values lead the study of idol worship of contemporary youth. Journal of Qiqihar University (Philosophy and Social Science Edition), (07), 42-47. https://doi.org/10.13971/j.cnki.cn23-1435/c.2024.07.011
Li, K. (2022). A qualitative study on the significance of idol worship of college students. Cultural Communication and Socialization Journal, 3(1), 1-7.
https://doi.org/10.26480/ccsj.01.2022.01.07
Liu, Y. Q. (2022). Research on the phenomenon of student idol worship and the education strategy of college values [Master’s thesis]. Shijiazhuang Tiedao University. https://doi.org/10.27334/d.cnki.gstdy.2022.000592
Lou, S. R. (2024). K-Pop as a stress-relief mechanism exploring its emotional impact on Filipino youth. Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities, 3(12), 1-10. https://www.pioneerpublisher.com/jrssh/article/view/1132
Lv, P., & Zhang, Y. (2019). Sociological Interpretation of “Fan Quan” Culture of Teenagers. China Youth Research, (5), 64-72.
https://doi.org/10.19633/j.cnki.11-2579/d.2019.0081.
Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of personality and social psychology, 3(5), 551. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0023281
Marcia, J. E. (1980). Identity in adolescence. Handbook of adolescent psychology/Wiley.
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (2014). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. In College student development and academic life (pp. 264-293). Routledge.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological review, 50(4), 370. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346
Newman, B. M., Lohman, B. J., & Newman, P. R. (2007). Peer group membership and a sense of belonging: Their relationship to adolescent behavior problems. Adolescence, 42(166), 241-263.
Oyserman, D., Coon, H. M., & Kemmelmeier, M. (2002). Rethinking individualism and collectivism: evaluation of theoretical assumptions and meta-analyses. Psychological bulletin,128(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.128.1.3
Shi, X. H. (2007). A developmental study on the influence of idol worship among middle school students. Youth Studies (Journal of Shandong Provincial Youth League School), 6, 19-22.
Tai, S. Q. (2018). The Relationship between Idolatry and Self-identity of Junior High School Students. [Master's thesis]. Inner Mongolia Normal University.
https://kns.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbname=CMFD201802&filename=1018819743.nh
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations. Brooks/Cole.
Tajfel, H., Billig, M. G., Bundy, R. P., & Flament, C. (1971). Social categorization and intergroup behaviour. European journal of social psychology, 1(2), 149-178.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420010202
Wei, S. T. (2023). The Implications of the Phenomenon of Student Idolatry for Mental Health Education, 13(10), 4642-4647. https://doi.org/10.12677/AP.2023.1310585
Wen, Y., Li, R. L., & Shi, B. G. (2009). Study on safety and school belonging of migrant children in Beijing. Journal of Capital Normal University (Social Science Edition, Supplement), 188-192.
Wu, Q. (2017). Contemporary college students’ idol worship and guidance [Master’s thesis]. East China Jiaotong University.
https://kns.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbname=CMFD201801&filename=1017820189.nh
Xi, Y. (2023). The Relationship between Idolatry and Sense of Belonging of Early Adulthood Female Fans: A Moderate Mediation Model [Master’s thesis]. Sichuan Normal University. https://doi.org/10.27347/d.cnki.gssdu.2023.000235
Xu, W. J. (2023). A study on the influence of “fan circle culture” on college students’ values and educational guidance (Master’s thesis, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology). https://doi.org/10.27248/d.cnki.gnjqc.2023.000681
Yang, S. G. (2002). The pursuit of spirit: The mysterious Jung. Harbin: Heilongjiang People's Press.
Ye, Y. D., Zhao, J. H., & Qiu, W. F. (2018). The impact of relative deprivation on group belongingness among migrant children: The mediating role of identity integration. Psychological Techniques and Applications, 6(3), 143-150.
https://doi.org/10.16842/j.cnki.issn2095-5588.2018.03.003
Yuan, J. X., Jiang, G. J., & Cao, K. (2011). The Education of University Students’ Sense of Belonging in a Prospect of Harmonious Culture. Journal of Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, 2, 103-108.
Yue, X. D. (2007). I am your fan: A perspective on adolescent idol worship. Shanghai People's Publishing House.
Yue, X. D. (2021). The differences between the halo effect and role model effect in idol worship. China Moral Education, 289, 13-21.
Yue, X. D., & Cheung, C. K. (2000). Selection of favourite idols and models among Chinese young people: A comparative study in Hong Kong and Nanjing. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 24(1), 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1080/016502500383511
Zeng, B. L. (2016). A study on adolescents' internet game addiction, self-identity, and real and online interpersonal relationships [Unpublished master's thesis]. National Taichung University of Education, Department of Counseling and Applied Psychology.
Zeng, S. C. (2008). Study on the well-being of migrant children. China Youth study, 9, 37-41. https://doi.org/10.19633/j.cnki.11-2579/d.2008.09.009.
Zhang, D. J. (1999). Educational psychology. Beijing, China: People's Education Press.
Zhang, Q. (2010). Fans’ power. Renmin University Press.
Zhang, T. T. (2020). Research on the Idolatry of College Students [Doctoral dissertation]. Northeast Normal University. https://doi.org/10.27011/d.cnki.gdbsu.2020.000407
Zhou, Y. Y. (2021). Identity and Construction of Fans in the New Media ——Take the Fans of "Arashi" as An Example [Master’s thesis]. Ningxia University. https://doi.org/10.27257/d.cnki.gnxhc.2021.001406
