K-Pop merupakan fenomena global yang marak di Indonesia, terutama selama beberapa tahun terakhir. Penelitian ini bertujuan melihat hubungan prediktif distress psikologis terhadap celebrity worship serta peran maladaptive daydreaming sebagai mediator. Penelitian sebelumnya menemukan bahwa distress psikologis memiliki hubungan yang signifikan dengan celebrity worship dan maladaptive daydreaming berperan sebagai mediator (Zsila et al., 2019). Meskipun telah diteliti, penelitian ini dilakukan khusus pada penggemar K-Pop (N = 252) kalangan usia emerging adulthood, yaitu 18-25 tahun (M = 21.04, SD = 1.713). Celebrity worship diukur menggunakan Celebrity Attitude Scale oleh Maltby et al. (2002), sedangkan distress psikologis diukur dengan The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) oleh Kessler et al. (2002). Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale-16 (MDS-16) oleh Somer et al. (2017b) digunakan untuk mengukur Maladaptive Daydreaming. Analisis mediasi dilakukan menggunakan fitur PROCESS Versi 4.0 dari SPSS Versi 24. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tidak terdapat hubungan langsung antara distress psikologis dan celebrity worship (𝛽 = -.0289, > .05). Namun, penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa maladaptive daydreaming berperan sebagai mediator dalam hubungan distress psikologis dan celebrity worship (𝛽 = .20, BootSE = .06, Cl 95% [.08, .34]). Apabila distress psikologis naik, maladaptive daydreaming juga akan naik. Seiring dengan kenaikan maladaptive daydreaming, celebrity worship pun akan mengalami kenaikan.

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K-Pop ia  a rising global phenomenon in Indonesia, especially the last several years. This study aims to evaluate the predictive relationship between psychological distress and celebrity worship, also the role of maladaptive daydreaming as mediator. Previous studies found that psychological distress has a significant relationship with celebrity worship and maladaptive daydreaming is one of the mediator (Zsila et al., 2019). However, this study specifically aimed to emerging adult K-Pop fans (N = 252) age 18-25 years old (M = 21.04, SD = 1.713). Celebrity worship measured by Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS) by Maltby et al. (2002) and psychological distress used The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) by Kessler et al. (2002). Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale-16 (MDS-16) by Somer et al. (2002) used for maladaptive daydreaming. Mediation was analyzed using PROCESS 4.0 from SPSS version 24. This study found that psychological distress has no direct effect on celebrity worship (𝛽 = -.0289, p > .05). However, maladaptive daydreaming was found as a mediator (𝛽 = .20, BootSE = .06, Cl 95% [.08, .34]). In conclusion, an increase in psychological distress is followed by an increase in maladaptive daydreaming then an increase in maladaptive daydreaming is followed by an increase in celebrity worship.