Based on self-identity, emotional projection, and social identity theories, this study constructed an idol worship-identity threat-aggressive behavior model and examined the effects of idol worship and social distance on aggression among college students through two situational experiments. Results showed that at the explicit aggression level, idol worship significantly predicted aggressive behavior. Moreover, idol worship and social distance interacted: Individuals high in idol worship exhibited stronger aggressive tendencies toward close friends than toward strangers. A similar interaction was found at the implicit aggression level: Participants high in idol worship showed stronger implicit aggression toward close friends than toward strangers. These findings reveal the interactive effects of idol worship and social distance on aggression, offering a context-dependent perspective for understanding aggressive behavior in college students.

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