The
Loveline
Companion

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrities have more narcissistic personality traits than the general population, and people with narcissistic tendencies seem to be attracted to the entertainment industry rather than the industry creating narcissists, according to a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers Drew Pinsky of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and S. Mark Young of the USC Marshall School of Business and the USC Annenberg School for Communication.

The study, which will be published in the Journal of Research in Personality (Elsevier), is the first systematic, empirical scholarly study of celebrity personality and was based on a standardized test of narcissistic personality traits administered to 200 celebrities.

"The general public's understanding of celebrity personality is based largely on anecdotal information such as media interviews," said Young. "We conducted this study as part of a larger program of research to provide more scientific evidence on what the celebrity personality is really like."

The authors say they chose narcissism as the topic of the study because it is one of the most widely discussed characteristics of celebrities.

"Narcissists generally crave attention, are overconfident of their abilities, lack empathy, and can evince erratic behavior," said Pinsky, who is an assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at USC. "However, they are also well-liked, especially on first meeting, are extroverted and perform well in public."

• http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060905/latu045.html

—zt-in-hell

This is like that study where they proved that mass murderers don't think the same as normal people. It totally blew my mind.

—A Guy in a Chair

I think it's always best to respond to scientific evidence that supports your intuitions cynically, so you appear to be as ungrateful as possible.

—zt-in-hell

Ungrateful?

What part of that should I be greatful for? For using labratory time to study how celebrities think? Do you really think I was just sitting around waiting for a scientist to prove my own idea? And why the hell did you put the thread in all caps unless you were doing the same?

If you don't like me, fine. Just type in the words "I don't like your post" it's alot more effective, you get your point across, with less words.

(Without spelling "ungreatful" wrong the first time)

—A Guy in a Chair

What part of that should I be greatful for? For using labratory time to study how celebrities think? —A Guy in a Chair

I should be grateful that you're not really a Loveline fan. If you were, you'd know that Adam and Drew were giving the test to celebrities while the were appearing on the show for years and would talk about it farely frequently.

So pedantic about spelling, but not about fact checking. :(

—zt-in-hell

You didn't answer my question. Why should I be grateful?

I'll admit that I did mistake my idea of labratory. I do now remember Adam complaining about Drew making people taking tests while trying to be on radio. So you got me there.

—A Guy in a Chair

Pedants are horrible people to get in flame wars with, mostly because they're so pedantic.

—zt-in-hell

I apologize. I didn't realize I was being pedantic. I thought I was making a point. I was wrong though.

—A Guy in a Chair

Does anyone know if the test will be published with the study? I always remember Adam getting on Drew about his "scantron sheets" but I always thought it was just for Drew's personal use. It has to have been at least a 4 or 5 year study. I'm so proud of Dr. Drew!

—drakeguy19

That's my dog, Drew, Drew, it's Dr. Drew, Drew, that's my man Drew, Drew, he's here for YOU! Happy Birthday and Publish or Perish, Drewster!

—drakeguy19

"A lot of people have accused you of being narcissistic."
"No, I know people think that I'm egotistical and narcissistic, but it's not true. I, as a matter of fact, if I did identify with a Greek mythological character, it would not be Narcissus."
"Who would it be?"
"Zeus."

—Jaffa Cakes

If I'm narcissistic, can I demand celebrity status?

—foob2011

Can you guys stfu and scram? You're blocking my light.

—catloaf

I'm so muthafucking magnificent I could sell my screech marked draws on ebay for millions.

—rAnCIDsICk@!!!

Fo realz. I'd buy one.

—catloaf

in the beginning, plurry created the heaven and the earth.

—plurry

Well, isn't Drew considered a celebrity?

—Sassafras Roots

Take one look at that molten lava hotness and tell me he's not narcissistic.

—catloaf

Drew is such a multi-tasking overachiever that he is conducting behavior research during Loveline's commercial breaks. Way to go Drew.

Adam and Drew were giving the test to celebrities

Minor correction here. Drew gave the tests. Adam yelled at Drew for not being done when they were coming out of commercial. Adam still should get his name on the study.

—bguirk

"In case anyone needed proof, a new study supports the widely held perception: Celebrities are more in love with themselves than the average person is."

Says a chinese site reporting on the story. :)

To be fair, it could be Japanese or Korean, they all look the same to me.

• http://edu.qq.com/a/20060907/000082.htm

—zt-in-hell

In what would seem obvious to a new-born babe (Suri--that's your cue), researchers at USC have announced that:

Celebrities have more narcissistic personality traits than the general population, and people with narcissistic tendencies seem to be attracted to the entertainment industry rather than the industry creating narcissists.

Good to know, don't you think? And the genius who figured this out is none other than Dr. Drew Pinsky, of Loveline and the Keck School of Medicine. Surely this can't be based on his years of hanging around with Adam Carolla?

They link to TLC at the bottom of the article.

• http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlLA/show_business/dr_drew_says_celebs_born_spoiled_not_made_that_way_43268.asp

—zt-in-hell

All Related Stories on Google News

• All Related Stories on Google News

—zt-in-hell

—plurry

...what would seem obvious...

That's the thing about science - you never know. Our intuition (even if we're really, really smart) can be (and often is) wrong to comedic proportions. 

The real danger is that smart people not only like to think they're right, but they're often very good at convincing themselves (and others) that they're right.

Even with standardized tests, things can get really fuzzy when it comes time to analyze the results, and it's easy to find spurious patterns if we're looking for them (our brains are so great at finding patterns that we'll often see them even of they're not there - especially if we're looking for a specific one).

Not that I question this study or the results - they do seem reasonable and likely but that doesn't mean we should accept them at face value. If we actually cared or were going to make important decisions based on these results (or those of any study), we'd have to should (but often won't) replicate the study and then base our decisions on the preponderance of evidence. 

—anobody

"They link to TLC at the bottom of the article."

Hah, and the picture of Drew they used is one of my screen captures from a JKL visit.

—Kevin U.

More coverage here and here.

—zt-in-hell

Well now we know what all those questionares Drew asked the guests to fill out went towards.

—24/7KROQ

Hah, and the picture of Drew they used is one of my screen captures from a JKL visit.

who is the ultimate #1 uber-sploozer of this forum?
is it kevin? he has to be top 5.

—plurry

More like ultimate #1 boozer? amirite?

—greymatters

hey now!

—plurry

hands up if you used to find katie holmes attractive and are now embarrassed about it.
i'm so embarrassed that i have to specify that it was 1999 and earlier.

—MajandraFan

It's as if the authors of a groundbreaking new study on celebrity narcissism, USC's Drew Pinsky and S. Mark Young, had commanded a real life demonstration to coincide with the release of their findings: celebrities are notably more prone to admiring themselves than the average Dick and Jane, women celebrities even more so, and reality TV personalities are the most monumentally self-regarding subgroup studied.

So what happened?

Willowy blonde hotel heiress-turned-amateur porn star, reality TV personality (The Simple Life), actress, author, designer, ubiquitous tabloid staple, and now singer, Paris Hilton, 25, spent the day prancing and posing in front of the camera Wednesday, filming a music video for her new album entitled Paris.

• Blog Critics: Study Finds Celebrities to Be Narcissistic - Paris Hilton Kindly Demonstrates

—zt-in-hell

i used to think katie holmes was the prettiest thing ever in 1999 too. i've started watching the reruns when they are still in high school and she looks about 12 years old.

i don't know why her lopsided face got past me back then.

—smaller hands

I think Katie Holmes looked so hot in Dawson's Creek because Michelle Williams was not looking her best then. So in 1999 Katie Holmes > Michelle Williams and now in 2006 Michelle Williams > Katie Holmes.

—greymatters

< high pitched voice > I don't want to wait for our lives to be over..... < / high pitched voice >

god damnit

—Robots Rule

NPR had a discussion on the study the day it was released. They interviewed Drew's coauthor and talked about how they gave the guests on Loveline the scantrons, the definition of narcissistic vs egotistical, what was actually measured, etc.

You can hear a stream of it with the link, it's interesting but only if you want to hear about the study, not just hear Drew's name mentioned.

• NPR 9-6-06 USC Study On Celebrities And Narcissism

—goldberry99

Still want to hear it. Stupid public libraries and their lack of headphones. post to mark for Monday.

—Dark Laith

The Arizona Republic: No surprise: Study shows celebrities are narcissists

Daily Breeze: Celebrities may be in love with -- guess who?

cbc.ca: Study proves it: Celebrities love themselves

—zt-in-hell

Adam went on a GREAT RANT about this and Drew' giving the tests in the studio on the morning show the other day.

—metatext

"who is the ultimate #1 uber-sploozer of this forum?"

I might not be now, but I know that I was at some point in the past - I'm a sploozer.

—Kevin U.

what's the term for people who love narcissists?
cuz they ain't celebrities if they ain't celebrated right?
i like that bobcat goldthwait dude. he has mad secrets

—MajandraFan

what's the term for people who love narcissists?

pin cushion?

—plurry

It was a very interesting read.

Apparently comedians and Reality TV personality are the most narcissistic and musicians were the least.

Read the paper here., click on the download file link

Take care,

—DrFrank

I can agree that muscians are usually the least narcisstic.
Most GREAT musicians in my eyes tend to originally be slightly anti-social.
99% of Rappers exremely Narcisstic. Comes with the craft.
My shit always smells better than yours type of attitude.

—rAnCIDsICk@!!!

The study was discussed in the L.A. Times. I like Adam's take on the results:

"Carolla had not seen the study, but was typically dry: "Who cares? Is this groundbreaking, that celebrities are narcissistic? I mean, this is like you found out Liberace was gay."

Do you think that the celebrities who took part in the study are resentful that they were used to participate in a report that makes them look vain?

• http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl-et-narcissism12sep12,0,2429762.story

—pookie

99% of Rappers exremely Narcisstic.

Here's something that I've always found mildly humorous and interesting.

On iTunes they have a section where musicians can make as playlist of their favorite songs or influences and almost every time you can count on a black singer/rapper listing several of their own songs among the selections. The whiteys? Not nearly as much.

Insecurity? Narcissim? Likely a mix of both.

—Beat It!

Maybe I should become a musician so that I can buck the trend, beat it, since I'm an insecure narcissist. 

—anobody

Do you think that the celebrities who took part in the study are resentful that they were used to participate in a report that makes them look vain? —pookie

Aww... Poor celebrities.

—zt-in-hell

^ That statement was not made out of sympathy for celebrities. I was only wondering if any of those celebs will ever go back on the Lovelines now that they realize that cooperating with Drew's request came back to bite them in the ass. I also wonder whether or not this whole thing will affect future celebrity bookings.

—pookie

I was wondering, silently until now, if Drew went ahead and start publishing this stuff because he thinks Loveline's days might be numbered. He must have started seeing the pattern years ago.

—zt-in-hell

LOS ANGELES, CA, United States (UPI) -- A Los Angeles psychiatry professor used his second job as host of a radio call-in show to do groundbreaking research on celebrity narcissism.

http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1200868.php/Radio_doctor_researches_celebrities

• More related stories on Google News

—zt-in-hell

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In case anyone needed proof, a new study supports the widely held perception: Celebrities are more in love with themselves than the average person.

That's the conclusion drawn by Drew Pinsky and S. Mark Young of the University of Southern California, whose study of 200 celebrities will appear in the Journal of Research in Personality.

It's not the entertainment industry that turns stars into narcissists, the study found. Rather, it suggests, the self-adoring seek jobs in show business.

The study, whose subjects were all guests on Pinsky's sex-advice radio show — not a place for shrinking violets — found that reality TV stars were the most narcissistic of all celebrities. Female stars were also more likely than their male counterparts to exhibit narcissistic traits.

http://www.livescience.com/othernews/060914_ap_celeb_love.html

• Related Stories on Google News

—zt-in-hell

I only read the original post here, and my reaction to the study is: yeah. no shit, sherlock.

Celebrities are corrupted by their fame and money and sought-afterness. I don't think they would be more narcissistic than the average person per se, but all day people kissass to them and tell them how great they are and make requests for interviews and ask them to speak at this function and that, and it's bound to go to their heads. The other factor is that celebrities are often more self-actualized and accomplished than the average person (doesn't include Nicole Ritchie and the like...), so their answers are bound to have an air of confidence, or trumped-up confidence.

I suspect Drew would have received similar results if he gave the survey to execs of Fortune 500 companies.

—ProfessorCarbuncle

... and all this time, public school administrators thought learning by repition worked.

—zt-in-hell

The other factor is that celebrities are often more self-actualized and accomplished than the average person

You're kidding right? Most celebrities are more insecure and self-involved than the "average person" as well as being out of touch with reality in general, all things that are completely contradictory the concept of self-actualization.

Accomplished is open to debate as well, but that really depends on your definition.

—Beat It!

Jealous?

—zt-in-hell

Well, duh...

—Beat It!

You're kidding right? Most celebrities are more insecure and self-involved than the "average person" as well as being out of touch with reality in general, all things that are completely contradictory the concept of self-actualization.

Accomplished is open to debate as well, but that really depends on your definition.

—Beat It!

No, I'm not kidding-- I didn't mean self-actualized in the Goldberg/moral development context, I meant they are accomplished in the sense that they are at the top of the heap in their profession. For every famous actor, there are hundreds or thousands of actors who are far less successful, so through a combination of skill, ambition, luck, and stamina, they were able to land roles in movies/TV/etc, to the point where they are celebrated by the masses, and gain the status of "celebrity."

It's true that many successful people are out of touch with reality and insecure. I would argue that the insecurity is a driving force in their ambition for success. A millionaire actor who does 3 or 4 movies a year for 35 years is very likely insecure about his/her status but I don't think that diminishes their status as accomplished or self-actualized (think Jon Malkovich).

As far as the bloated sense of self-worth, I think the corruptive nature of fame and fortune are to blame. If people asked me every day for interviews about how I became such a great ______ , I would get a big head too. Likewise if I got paid 8 million dollars for two months work.

Like it or not, famous people are at the top of their profession (NOT necessarily the most skilled, but the most successful, attributed to a mix of some factors including luck).

—ProfessorCarbuncle

Like it or not, famous people are at the top of their profession (NOT necessarily the most skilled, but the most successful, attributed to a mix of some factors including luck). —ProfessorCarbuncle

Why do people even bother saying things like this? Maybe it's a mix of factors, including luck.

—zt-in-hell

As far as the bloated sense of self-worth, I think the corruptive nature of fame and fortune are to blame. If people asked me every day for interviews about how I became such a great ______ , I would get a big head too. Likewise if I got paid 8 million dollars for two months work.

—ProfessorCarbuncle

I'm sure all of that doesn't make the situation any better, but didn't the study say the exact opposite of this (that narcissists are attracted to the entertainment industry, rather than the industry making the people who go into it narcissistic)?

—Dark Laith

Let's say there's a famous movie star who thinks he owns Malibu, or a big-name actor who holds himself out as an expert on psychiatry on national television. Or maybe there's a famous actress who frequently calls in sick to the movie set, costing producers thousands of dollars, because she is tired (or hung over). Aren't these examples just proof that celebrity and narcissism go together like Paris Hilton and paparazzi?

Not really. They're just anecdotes.

What was always lacking -- until last week -- was scientific proof that celebrities are more narcissistic than the rest of us. At last, thanks to a first-of-its-kind study, we don't have to rely on reports from the Malibu sheriff's substation or US Weekly to confirm what the anecdotes seem to be telling us.

Du-uh, you say?

Not so fast.

According to the study's authors, Drew Pinsky, internist, addictionologist (yes, it's a word), University of Southern California assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and host of the long-running call-in show ''Loveline''; and S. Mark Young, a USC professor of sports, entertainment, accounting and communications, no one had conducted an academically rigorous study of celebrity personalities -- because nobody ever could.

• http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/15525218.htm

—zt-in-hell

What the hell do you mean "nobody ever could"? Of course they could, they just didn't know HOW to make it verifiable or didn't want to do a study.

—drakeguy19

Here's a TV interview of Drew discussing the study on CNN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbHQi14VWrk

—doingdoingdoing

HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS!

i was eating dinner but it can wait!!!!

i just saw Dr. Drew on The Soup talking about his study and towards the end he went on a little rant (scipted) about how you could help people and mentioned adam.

"or the guy you left holding the bag on a nationaly syndicated radio show - So get over your self Adam!"

HOLY SHIT!!!

—Bears attack!

What came before that? Taken in the context you've provided, the "get over yourself" comment seems completely out of left field. About the first part, though, let's be honest, that's precisely what Adam did.

What the hell do you mean "nobody ever could"? Of course they could, they just didn't know HOW to make it verifiable or didn't want to do a study.

—drakeguy19

Sounds like someone didn't click the link.

—Dark Laith

Dr. Drew and Adam should have an arm wrestling contest. Drew would win hands down. Just look at his biceps!

—drakeguy19

'It was always about me'

Celebrities are more narcissistic than average Americans, according to a study by a pair of professors at the University of Southern California: Drew Pinsky, an internist, clinical psychiatrist and addictionologist ("yes, it's a word," says the Los Angeles Times), and S. Mark Young, a professor of sports, entertainment, accounting and communications. Prof. Pinsky, known as "Dr. Drew" on his radio show Loveline, interviewed celebrity guests for the study, which is to be published in the Journal of Research and Personality. Surprisingly, interviewees tended to start out as narcissistic, rather than developing the trait as they gained fame. Prof. Young "thinks this nugget may prove useful to the increasingly popular course of study known as entertainment management."

• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060919.FASS19/TPStory/Education

—zt-in-hell

NOTE: YES, PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS
Stuff on... them

October 1, 2006
BY PAIGE WISER Staff Reporter

Celebrities are more narcissistic than the rest of the population, a new study from the University of Southern California has concluded.

(Take a moment to recover from the shock.)

The study is considered groundbreaking because it's the first systematic, empirical scholarly study of celebrity personality -- that is to say, it's delving a little bit deeper than an "Access Hollywood" interview.

The term "narcissist" isn't just an insult. It's also a psychological personality type. "Narcissists generally crave attention, are overconfident of their abilities, lack empathy, and can evince erratic behavior," said Dr. Drew Pinsky (at right), an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at USC who was part of the team of researchers. "However, they are also well-liked, especially on first meeting, are extroverted and perform well in public."

Pinsky, of course, is a bit of a celebrity himself, as host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show "Loveline."

• http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/people/76351,CNT-News-cover01.article

—ZT-Invalid

Here is a link to the actual paper.

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/tburbine/youngandpinsky.pdf

—tomburbine

Here's the CiteULike for the article, you can also search for articles tagged 'loveline.' :)

• http://www.citeulike.org/article/898607

—ZT-In-Zen

This is still getting media attention.

• http://torontosun.com/Entertainment/Columnists/Slotek_Jim/2006/10/29/2165511.html

—Elvis-In-ZT

Narcissistic Celebrities

By REBECCA SKLOOT
Published: December 10, 2006

Breaking news: a new study shows that celebrities are more narcissistic than the general public.

You wouldn't be alone if reading that made you think, Well, duh! Everyone knows that. But you'd be wrong. Until recently, no one had studied celebrities to determine whether they're truly narcissistic. Why? Because celebrities are shielded by public-relations people and managers who reject requests for things like personality questionnaires. Unless you're Drew Pinsky, the University of Southern California psychiatry professor and host of "Loveline," a syndicated radio talk show.

Pinsky has celebrity guests on his show who talk about their latest projects while he answers questions from teenagers about love and sex. Over the years, during commercial breaks, he and his colleague Mark Young, a professor of sports and entertainment business at U.S.C., have surveyed 200 celebrities using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, a widely respected questionnaire that measures narcissistic tendencies and ranks individuals on a scale of 1 to 40, with 40 being "extremely narcissistic."

Pinsky and Young found that on average, celebrities scored 17.84 — about 17 percent higher than the general public — with females ranking significantly higher than males. Interestingly, celebrities with the most skill (musicians) were the least narcissistic; those with no skill (reality-show stars) were, as Pinsky says, "off the narcissism charts."

When Pinsky and Young published their data, people said, Whoa, celebrities love themselves— what a shocker! But in fact, that's not the case. "Narcissism is not about self love," Pinsky says. "It's a clinical trait that belies a deep sense of emptiness, low self-esteem, emotional detachment, self-loathing, extreme problems with intimacy."

The way Pinsky sees it, celebrities have a huge influence on us, and it's important to know whom we're modeling ourselves after. Young agrees: "We’ve all heard stories of celebrities in disastrous relationships; we watch them lie, cheat and get away with it. Drew and I just hope that people — especially kids — won't try to emulate that behavior if they know that some of those folks may actually have an underlying disorder making them behave like that."

• http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/magazine/10Section2b.t-5.html

—ZT-In-Thought

hands up if you used to find katie holmes attractive and are now embarrassed about it

*raises hand way too late*

—jezebel

• http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/3442

—ZT-In-Thought

Yes, this is STILL news.

• Science proves celebs really are different (Times Online)

—ZT-In-Thought

• http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story/0,4136,120468,00.html

—ZT-In-Thought

TODAY'S MUST-READ comes from The Sunday Times of London, which reports o­n the study by two L.A. psychologists (one of whom is "Dr. Drew" of Loveline) which asked 200 celebrities to fill out a standard questionnaire called the Narcissism Personality Inventory. "It was people like that — actors, comedians, musicians and reality TV contestants — who emerged as the most narcissistic of all," said Dr. Drew Pinsky. "The fewer real-life skills they had, the louder they tend to be in their attempts to hold o­n to attention."

• http://www.claudepate.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=645

—ZT-In-Thought