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Economics
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1) Signals
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Celebrity endorsements act as markers that differentiate endorsed items from competitors.
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2) Herd behavior
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Celebrities activate people’s natural tendency to make decisions based on how others have acted in similar situations.
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Marketing
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3) Meaning transfer
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People consume items to acquire the endorsing celebrities’ traits, which have become associated with the product.
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4) Source credibility
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Celebrities share personal experiences and success stories associated with the endorsed item to be perceived as credible sources of health information.
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5) Halo effect
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The specific success of celebrities is generalized to all their traits, biasing people to view them as credible medical advisors.
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Neuroscience
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6) Neural mechanisms of meaning transfer
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Celebrity advertisements activate a brain region involved in forming positive associations, indicating the transfer of positive memories associated with the celebrity to the endorsed item.
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7) Neuropsychology of credibility
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Endorsements from celebrities activate brain regions associated with trustful behavior and memory formation, thereby improving attitudes toward and recognition of the endorsed item.
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Psychology
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8) Classical conditioning
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The positive responses people have toward celebrities come to be independently generated by endorsed items.
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9) Self-conception
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People follow advice from celebrities who match how they perceive (or want to perceive) themselves.
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10) Cognitive dissonance
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People unconsciously rationalize following celebrity medical advice to reduce the psychological discomfort that may otherwise result from holding incompatible views.
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11) Attachment
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People, especially those with low self-esteem, form attachments to celebrities who make them feel independent in their actions, supported by others, and competent in their activities.
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Sociology
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12) Social networks
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Celebrity advice reaches large masses by spreading through systems of people linked through personal connections.
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13) Commodification and social capital
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People follow celebrity medical advice to gain social status and shape their social identities.
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14) Social constructivism
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Celebrity medical advice may alter how people perceive health information and how it is produced in the first place.
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