I Don't Believe It! Belief Perseverance in Attitudes Toward Celebrities

The persistence of beliefs and feelings regarding a favorite celebrity were investigated. Source credibility was not expected to influence belief perseverance and emotional belief (feelings) perseverance toward favorite celebrities. Also, when asked to consider reasons why others would not like the celebrity, perseverance of beliefs and feelings were expected to decrease. Participants (N = 201) from a Southern California private university completed an online survey. Contrary to the hypotheses, participants were more likely to believe the information when the media caught the celebrity and when the celebrity displayed the behavior. Also, using the consider-the-opposite strategy did not change beliefs or feelings. However, as predicted, perseverance of feelings about celebrities did vary by the source of information. The practical implications are that, although difficult, changing beliefs may be possible depending on the source of information. Limitations in the study are also discussed.