@Article{jpa.2026.068011,
AUTHOR = {Mengni Yu, Wenyu Zeng, Yihong Yang, Biyun Wu, Fang Li},
TITLE = {Celebrity worship and online trolling in college students: Self-esteem and moral disengagement mediation and perceived anonymity moderation},
JOURNAL = {Journal of Psychology in Africa},
VOLUME = {},
YEAR = {},
NUMBER = {},
PAGES = {{pages}},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/jpa/online/detail/27560},
ISSN = {1815-5626},
ABSTRACT = {We examined whether celebrity worship predicts trolling via self-esteem and moral disengagement, and whether perceived anonymity moderates these effects. A total of 1057 college students (females = 54.6%; mean age = 20.09 years, SD = 1.734) completed the measurements of celebrity worship, self-esteem, moral disengagement, perceived anonymity, and online trolling. Structural equation modeling (SEM) results showed that higher celebrity worship was associated with online trolling. Lower self-esteem and moral disengagement respectively played mediating roles between them, exacerbating trolling behavior. Self-esteem and moral disengagement also played a sequential mediating role for higher trolling behavior. Perceived anonymity moderated both the direct and indirect paths between celebrity worship and online trolling to be stronger. With a high level of perceived anonymity, the predictive effects of celebrity worship and moral disengagement on online trolling were exacerbated. Consistent with the I<sup>3</sup> model, celebrity worship and moral disengagement enhance online trolling tendencies, and such effects are amplified when people perceived to be anonymous. Those of self-esteem may be less susceptible to these tendencies. Interventions aimed at reducing college students’ online trolling risk from celebrity worship should include strategies to rebuild self-concept and clarify speech boundaries for rational discourse this digital age.},
DOI = {10.32604/jpa.2026.068011}
}