2 Reactions People Have To Celebrities Who Cheat, By A Psychologist
When cheating scandals dominate headlines or flood social media, they tend to stir up a wide range of public emotions. Some people may react with intense outrage. On the other hand, others seem surprisingly indifferent or even unfazed.
Intense emotional investment in any celebrity's life is not random. Many fans develop strong parasocial relationships and tend to put celebrities on pedestals, admire them and even trust them like close friends. So, when those public figures betray expectations, it can feel deeply personal.
While anger is a common reaction, parasocial emotional closeness isn't the only determining factor in how people react to these scandals. A 2024 study published in Behavioral Sciences explains why some people tend to be unfazed by such news.
Researchers set out to explore why public reactions to celebrity infidelity vary so widely. To examine this, they surveyed over 1100 Japanese adults across different age groups and regions.
What set the study apart was that unlike earlier studies that relied on hypothetical scenarios, this one examined real-life celebrity cheating scandals that had sparked massive online backlash in Japan.
The researchers specifically investigated how people's 'belief in a just world' (BJW), that is, the idea that people get what they deserve, is related to their emotional responses and tendency to blame the celebrities involved.
This study is among the first to reveal that a belief in a just world may actually reduce condemnation of high-status individuals in morally unambiguous situations like cheating.
Here are two factors that shape how we judge celebrity infidelity, according to the 2024 study.
1. Believing The World Is Fair Can Soften Moral Outrage
One of the main aims of the study was to examine how a person's belief in a just world (BJW) influences their reaction to celebrity infidelity.
Belief in a just world is the psychological tendency to believe that people generally get what they deserve, wherein good people are rewarded and bad people are punished.
This belief often serves as a justice motivation, pushing people to restore moral balance when they witness wrongdoing.
While initially the researchers expected that individuals with a strong belief ina just world would show more outrage toward celebrities caught cheating, the results showed otherwise.
Naturally, the researchers assumed that immoral behavior like infidelity violates someone's belief in a fair world, which can create psychological discomfort. So, people may feel compelled to condemn the wrongdoer to restore a sense of justice.
However, the researchers found that people with a stronger belief in a just world reported lower levels of anger, disgust and blame toward the cheating celebrities.
BJW, in fact, had a negative direct effect on blame. Moreover, there was also an indirect effect. It reduced negative emotions, which in turn reduced the tendency to assign blame.
In short, this belief actually dampens emotional reactions, which then leads to a more forgiving or indifferent stance.
The study suggests that when infidelity is not seen as a criminal act (as is the case in Japan, where it's considered a private moral issue), people with a strong belief in a just world may not see it as a threat to justice.
They may tend to, instead, interpret the celebrity's status like the wealth, success and fame, as a sign that they are fundamentally 'good' or 'deserving.' As a result, they feel less compelled to condemn them.
On the contrary, this also implies that people who don't hold a strong belief in a just world may be more likely to see infidelity as a serious wrongdoing.
They may even demand accountability because they don't assume things will automatically balance out and hence, may feel a stronger need to express outrage or publicly condemn the celebrity to restore some sense of justice.
These findings challenge the assumption that justice-oriented beliefs always lead to punishment or moral outrage. Ultimately, this shows that our sense of justice doesn't just shape what we judge but also whether we feel the need to judge at all.
2. Strong Emotions Drive Harsh Judgements
While BJW plays a strong role in shaping how you view cheating scandals, the study also found that raw emotional reactions, especially anger and disgust, are also one of the strongest predictors of public condemnation.
Researchers asked participants in the research to rate how they typically feel about infidelity, focusing on three key emotional responses: anger, disgust and a sense of feeling dirty. This was again measured with regard to real-life celebrity cheating scandals.
Researchers found that participants who felt more intense negative emotions when thinking about infidelity were much more likely to blame the celebrities involved.
This shows that moral judgment is often emotion-driven rather than rational. People tend to react first with their gut when they are feeling disgusted or morally repulsed. It is only later that they justify those feelings with logic or reasoning.
In fact, the study found that these emotions acted as a direct pathway to blame. The stronger the emotional reaction was, the harsher the judgment was. They even found that people with a lower belief in a just world still showed high levels of blame when negative emotions were present.
This indicates that even if someone doesn't think of infidelity as a legal or societal issue, their emotional response can still push them to publicly condemn the behavior. This is especially true when that betrayal feels deeply personal or morally offensive.
When it comes to infidelity, it's not always what you think, but more about what you feel first, which can eventually fuel the fire for the way you react to a celebrity scandal.
Every Story Doesn't Need Your Reaction
While these stories may flood your feed and even dominate conversations with friends or family, it's important to remember that you see only fragments of a much larger picture.
No matter what the reasoning behind your judgment is, it can still miss the mark and be partly, sometimes even entirely, wrong. This is not because the act is justified, but because no matter how personal it feels, you don't know the full context.
More importantly, it's worth checking in with yourself if the energy you're spending on someone else's choices is bringing you clarity or just creating more noise. While it's human to react, not every story deserves space in your mind.
Sometimes, the wisest thing you can do is protect your peace and step back from what was never yours to carry.
Curious how emotionally invested you are in celebrity lives? Take this science-backed test to find out: Celebrity Attitude Scale
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
80 years since Hiroshima. How much longer can the world's luck hold?
As was his wont on long flights, Col. Paul Tibbets, piloting a B-29, puffed on his pipe as, 80 years ago Wednesday, he transported humanity from one geopolitical era to another. His radio operator was watching for an 'abort' signal if Japan surrendered before the B-29 reached its target.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Moms Still Carry The Bulk Of Emotional Labor, Though It's Shifting
We call it emotional labor, or invisible labor. It's all those little tasks you do that nobody can see, like figuring out what's for supper and whether the ingredients are in the house or need to be picked up, and remembering that your son needs his gym bag for school on Tuesdays. When you do it at work, your boss calls it by names like 'taking initiative' and 'being on top of things,' and in good workplaces, it's often a key to raises and promotions. In the home, most of it falls on moms, leaving them exhausted and often feeling unappreciated. As researchers call attention to it, though, families are finally seeing some shifts. The Gender Imbalance We can see it anecdotally everywhere, in an overheard conversation between two members of school staff about not expecting a particular parent to know the drop-off system because he's the dad; in social media posts from frustrated men who can't figure out why their wives are too exhausted to focus on them after chasing toddlers and trying to keep the house running all day; from our worn-out fellow moms having crying jags over coffee because they feel like they've failed everyone at once. As the saying goes, however, the plural of anecdote is not data, which is why researchers have dug in and found the actual data. One such recent study, released earlier this year, examined the emotional labor balance in 415 couples. The study found that 63% of women report being the primary organizer of childcare and household duties, and over half of men agree that their wives do the bulk of this work. Notably, it found that women are (statistically speaking) frustrated by this arrangement, and men are generally satisfied with it. This isn't a product of male breadwinners and stay-at-home moms, either — the study specifically examined how much of their employment time parents spent on household responsibilities. It concluded: '[I]n our sample 41.10% of employed women report frequently thinking about the organization of household activities while at work, compared to only 9.58% of men. For childcare activities, 47.26% of women report doing so, versus 13.51% of men.' The Numbers Vary, But The Trend Holds Other studies and surveys produce slightly varying numbers, but a similar picture. One done by Motherly last year found 42% of moms reporting that they're responsible for the invisible labor of running a household. Another, published in the Archives of Women's Health last year, broke down household tasks into categories and found that women, on average, were responsible for about 72% of the cognitive labor in the household (and about 64% of all household physical labor). Some of the variability may be attributable to specific methods (like breaking down the mental load into different tasks, or asking how much time one spends thinking about childcare tasks during employment hours). Still, there's also a generational difference beginning to show, and we can find some hope in it. The Young Adults Are Alright (At Least, Some Of Them) Here's where the stats seem to shift: that same Motherly survey that found 42% of moms handling all the invisible labor found that when you narrow the scope to moms under 30, 59% of them say they share labor equally with their partners. The same survey also found that over 60% of women overall say they don't get a whole hour to themselves daily, but 53% of Gen Z moms say they get an hour or more. Meanwhile, the study linked above in Archives of Women's Health found strong links between one person carrying the bulk of the emotional labor and that person suffering negative effects to 'relationship quality, depression, stress, burnout, and overall mental health,' clearly indicating that this shift is much-needed and long overdue. Fifty-nine percent of couples sharing labor equally shouldn't be groundbreaking, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. Solve the daily Crossword
CNET
3 days ago
- CNET
Professional Chefs Beg: Don't Buy These 20 Pointless Kitchen Gadgets
As long as we have kitchens, brands will continue to pump out tools. Many are essential, while others just collect dust or don't perform their duties any better than a great knife or pair of kitchen shears. Instead of chasing every buzzy new appliance, it pays to stick with gear that's versatile, reliable and actually makes your life easier. To help you sort the essentials from the excess, we asked chefs and kitchen pros which gadgets are worth the hype -- and which ones are better left behind. Because when decluttering your kitchen, knowing what not to buy is just as important as knowing what to keep. These career cooks are the ultimate authority on which kitchen gadgets should get the boot -- especially when cupboard, counter and drawer space is limited. Each one listed their least favorite kitchen tools and offered their preferred method or tool for completing the cooking task that they're meant to do. Masaharu Morimoto Celebrity chef, restaurateur Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool. Dave Kotinsky/Stringer/Getty 1. Mandolin Chef Morimoto encourages beefing up your knife skills to make thin and uniform vegetable slices. Milk Street Why: "While it brings good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision and safety in the long run. Mandolins can be bulky, hard to clean and risky if you're not extremely careful. Relying too much on a mandolin, or tools like a two-in-one apple cutter or a tomato corer can hold you back from developing real technique. Taking the time to learn how to handle a sharp chef's knife or Japanese blade will help you in almost every recipe." What to try instead: Mac 8-inch Japanese chef knife. Lead chef-instructor Institute of Culinary Education, Los Angeles Culinary instructor Eric Rowse knows a gimmicky kitchen tool when he sees one. Institute of Culinary Education 2. Onion holders Why: "These look like a weapon for Wolverine wannabes; it's meant to help you hold a whole onion and "chop" it. Instead, cut the onion in half to create a flat surface so it won't roll away. If you're trying to cut rings, save the $14 and stick a fork in the root and hold the fork." What to try instead: Learn to properly slice an onion the old-fashioned way. 3. Onion goggles Save your money -- and some dignity -- and skip the onion goggles. Rubberball/Mike Kemp/Getty Why: "A waste of money, as they don't form a great seal around the eyes to prevent the sulfur compounds from getting to your eyes and making you cry. Keep your knife sharp and open a window or turn on a fan instead." What to try instead: CNET's Peter Butler shares tips for cutting onions without crying. 4. Metal, glass, stone and acrylic cutting boards Glass, stone and metal boards are OK for serving but when slicing and dicing, wood is the way to go. David Watsky/CNET Why: "Cutting on hard surfaces is bad for your knives; instead, go for wood or poly." What to try instead: Our list of the best cutting boards features plenty of knife-safe options. 5. Chicken shredder Why: "I can't think of anyone needing a tool devoted to shredding chicken outside a restaurant and even restaurants don't use it. This item only has one purpose so I'd skip it." What to try instead: Two forks. 6. Herb stripper Why: "I love thyme but hate stripping it. When I was young I got suckered into believing this tool would help me … It's been sitting in my cupboard, laughing at me for almost a decade now." What to try instead: For heartier herbs like rosemary and thyme, just use your fingers to slide down the stem, opposite to how the leaves grow. 7. Bluetooth wireless probe thermometer Instant read meat probes work fast and don't require a fussy Bluetooth connection. Chris Wedel/CNET Why: "These are a great tool but can be very expensive. I can see myself losing, breaking, dropping, accidentally throwing away or dropping it in the coals." What to try instead: ThermoPro's Lightning Instant Read Thermometer Cookbook author and lifestyle expert Cookbook author Peter Som didn't hold back when asked about his least favorite kitchen tools. Peter Som 8. Electric can opener A manual can opener is cheaper, works great and is less likely to break. Nelson Aguilar/CNET Why: "Most of us grew up with an electric can opener permanently stationed on the kitchen counter, like it was a vital appliance. But truthfully, they're more nostalgia than necessity. They take up space, can be a hassle to clean and often struggle with irregularly sized cans. A good manual opener is compact, reliable and gets the job done without needing an outlet or a user manual." What to try instead: Oxo's soft-handled can opener. Richard Ingraham Personal chef to Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and author of Love: My Love Expressed Through Food Richard Ingraham avoids certain kitchen tools when cooking for celebs like Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union. John Parra/Gett 9. Avocado slicer Why: "A knife and spoon do the job just as easily and the specialized tool rarely fits all avocado sizes properly. It's a one-trick pony that clutters drawers." What to try instead: A good paring knife like this $35 Wusthof. 10. Egg separator Separating an egg by hand isn't so difficult that it requires hardware. Yipengge/Getty Why: "A tool just for separating yolks is unnecessary for most home cooks." The only exception may be this one, and even that is just for yolks. Err, I mean yucks. What to try instead: Cracking an egg and using the shell halves or your fingers works just as well. 11. Garlic peeler tube Why: "Rolling garlic cloves in a silicone tube may work but requires storing a single-purpose gadget." What to try instead: Smashing garlic cloves with a chef knife is quicker and more reliable. 12. Pizza scissors Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night. Zoranm/Getty Why: "A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster. These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean and take up more space than they're worth." What to try instead: KitchenAid's stainless-steel pizza wheel. 13. Herb scissors Why: "They're hard to clean and don't offer a huge advantage over a sharp chef's knife. Plus, they tend to crush delicate herbs more than slice them." What to try instead: Made In's 8-inch Chef Knife. 14. Electric egg cooker Why: "Boiling eggs in a pot is straightforward and flexible. The electric version just adds clutter unless you boil eggs constantly and hate using a stove." What to try instead: This 1-minute hack for making poached eggs in the microwave. 15. Butter cutter and dispenser A good butter knife works just as well and requires less space and maintenance. Williams Sonoma Why: "It slices sticks of butter into pats … but why? A knife works instantly and you don't have to load and clean a plastic gadget for it." What to try instead: Williams Sonoma breakfast butter blade. 16. Pasta measurer Why: "It's a plastic disc with holes to tell you how much spaghetti to cook. Just eyeball it or learn the rough weight by experience. It's not worth the drawer space." What to try instead: A kitchen scale for precise measurements. 17. Oil mister Why: "Often clogs, sprays unevenly and requires constant cleaning. A small spoon or brush does the job with less frustration." What to try instead: World Market's olive oil cruet. 18. Electric potato peeler A sharp vegetable peeler is all you need to skin a batch of potatoes. Capelle.r/Getty Why: "Takes up a surprising amount of space and peels slower than a regular peeler. Plus, it's overkill unless you're peeling dozens of potatoes at once." What to try instead: Oxo's Swivel peeler. 19. Bagel guillotine Why: "Sold as a safer way to slice bagels but takes up a ton of space and is awkward to clean. A serrated knife does the job just fine." What to try instead: Opinel's 8-inch bread knife. Jackie Carnesi Executive chef, Kellogg's Diner Jackie Carnesi StarChefs 20. Oven mitts There's a reason pro chefs don't use oven mitts. Webstaurant Why: "Oven mitts are the most useless item in a home kitchen! A sturdy kitchen towel does the same job, and odds are, it's more likely to be washed regularly. I don't know many people who wash their oven mitts frequently enough ... it seems many have deemed it an item that doesn't warrant regular cleaning. It does." What to try instead: Stock a plethora of kitchen towels.
