Reality TVand Romantic PerceptionsKelsey GormanKendra SchwarzCodi MastElyse BrighamJacqui DennisJamelia BanksCara Jeffers

Literature Review

• Social Cognitive Theory• Not passive, but active

• Four Processes: Attention, Retention, Production, and Motivation

• Heavy Viewers more likely to perceive real world like TV

• Media encourages 3 sexual attitudes:• Men are sex driven• Women are sexual objects• Dating is a game

Research Questions and Hypotheses

• RQ1: Do television dating shows influence people’s perceptions on their own relationships?

• RQ2: What are the motives for viewing certain reality television shows?

• RQ3: Which shows attract more women and which shows attract more men?

• H1: Viewers of the Bachelor have a more life-long, romantic perception of relationships.

• H2: Viewers of Jersey Shore have a more short-term, superficial perception of relationships.

Survey Explained

• Chose to compare Jersey Shore and the Bachelor

• Used personal social media and email to distribute

• Demographics

• Watch Jersey Shore or Bachelor or Neither• Threw out “Both”

Demographics

Males Females0

20406080

100120140160180

Males vs Females

18-22 23-30 31-40 41-50 50 +0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Ages

Demographics

Single Dating/Engaged

Married Divorced/Widowed

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Relationship Status

Relationship Status

Summary of the rest

• Most of our respondents were either students or employed

• Almost all respondents said they watched 1-3 hours per day

• Almost all respondents said 1-25 percent of the TV they watch is reality TV

RQ1: Reality TV influence on dating perceptions

• Perceptions/ Characteristics used:Casual Sex Honesty Respect Physical Abuse Male

DominanceMaturity PDA Sense of

HumorDating is a game

Lust

Intelligence Heavy use of alcohol

Abstinence Seeking attention

Use of contraception

Infidelity Trust Future-oriented

Emotional dependence

Faith

Financial matters

Physical attraction

Aggression Jealousy Commitment

Sex driven Loyalty Emotional abuse

Education Love

Jersey Shore Perceptions• What are your perceptions of the behaviors and/or characteristics

present in the show Jersey Shore? = Show• What perceptions and/or characteristics are prevalent in your own

personal dating life? = Personal• What characteristics or behaviors do you believe represent general

societal norms for dating? = Society

Jersey Shore PerceptionsLowly Perceived in personal dating life

Casual Sex

Male Dominance

PDA

Dating is a game

Lust

Seeking attention

Infideltiy

Jealousy

Sex driven

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Society Show Personal

Highly Perceived in personal dating life

HonestyRespect

MaturitySense of humor

IntelligenceTrust

Future-orientedFaith

CommitmentLoyalty

EducationLove

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Society Show Personal

Bachelor Perceptions• What are your perceptions of the behaviors and/or characteristics

present in the show the Bachelor? = Show• What perceptions and/or characteristics are prevalent in your own

personal dating life? = Personal• What characteristics or behaviors do you believe represent general

societal norms for dating? = Society

Bachelor Perceptions

PDA

Dating is a game

Lust

Seeking attention

Emotional dependence

Jealousy

Sex-driven

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Lowly perceived in personal life

Society Show Personal

Honesty

Maturity

Intelligence

Trust

Future-oriented

Faith

Commitment

Loyalty

Education

Love

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Highly Perceived in personal life

Society Show Personal

Non-watcher Perceptions• What perceptions and/or characteristics are prevalent in your own

personal dating life? = Personal• What characteristics or behaviors do you believe represent general

societal norms for dating? = Society

Casual SexPhysical Abuse

Male DominancePDA

Dating is a gameLust

Heavy use of alcoholSeeking attention

Use of contraceptionInfidelty

Emotinal dependenceFinancial matters

AggressionJealousy

Sex-drivenEmotional Abuse

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Non-watcher Low perceptions in personal dating life

Society Self

Honesty

Respect

Maturity

Sense of humor

Intelligence

Abstinence

Trust

Future-oriented

Faith

Commitment

Education

Love

Loyalty

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Non watcher high perceptions in personal dating life

Society Self

Casua

l Sex

Hones

ty

Respe

ct

Physic

al Abu

se

Male D

omina

nce

Maturit

yPDA

Sense

of hu

mor

Dating

is a

game

Lust

Intell

igenc

e

Heavy

use o

f alco

hol

absti

nenc

e

seek

ing at

tentio

n

use o

f con

trace

ption

infide

ltiy trust

futur

e orie

nted

emoti

onal

depe

nden

cefai

th

financ

ial m

atter

s

phys

ical a

ttrac

tion

agre

ssioin

jealou

sy

commitm

ent

sex d

riven

loyalt

y

emoti

onal

abus

e

educ

ation lov

e0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Societal Perceptions Compared

JSHORE Society Bachelor Society No Show Society

Future

orien

ted

Commitm

ent

Love

Loyalt

y

Physic

al Attr

actio

nTru

st

Sense

of H

umor

Maturit

y

Respe

ct0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Perceptions of Societal Norms

Bachelor Jersey Shore Neither

Casua

l Sex

Hones

ty

Respe

ct

Physic

al Abu

se

Male D

omina

nce

Maturit

yPDA

Sense

of hu

mor

Dating

is a

game

Lust

Intell

igenc

e

Heavy

use o

f alco

hol

absti

nenc

e

seek

ing at

tentio

n

use o

f con

trace

ption

infide

ltiy trust

futur

e orie

nted

emoti

onal

depe

nden

cefai

th

financ

ial m

atter

s

phys

ical a

ttrac

tion

agre

ssioin

jealou

sy

commitm

ent

sex d

riven

loyalt

y

emoti

onal

abus

e

educ

ation lov

e0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Self Perceptions Compared

JSHORE self Bachelor Self No Show Self

RQ2: What are the motives for viewing certain reality television shows?

Habit

Escap

e

Bored

om

Enterta

inmen

t

Trend

y

Up-to-d

ate on

curre

nt ev

ents

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Chart Title

Jersey Shore The Bachelor

RQ3: Which shows attract more women and which shows attract more men?

Male Responses Both Female Responses

American Idol American Pickers 16 and Pregnant

America's got Talent Bachelor/Bachelorette 19 Kids and Counting

Auction Kings Dancing With the Stars Amazing Race

Big Brother Survivor Basketball Wives

Buckwild Teen Mom Biggest Loser

Duck Dynasty The Apprentice Chopped

Hell's Kitchen The Voice Cupcake Wars

Iron Chef Ridiculousness Dance Moms

Jersey Shore Dirty Jobs

Pawn Stars Guilana and Bill

Shipping Wars Hell's Kitchen

Storage Wars Hoarders

Swamp People Honey Boo Boo

The Challenge Kardashians

The X-Factor Love & Hip Hop

Top Chef Master Chef

Worst Cooks in America Millionaire Matchmaker

Project Runway

Real Housewives

Real World

Say Yes to the Dress

So You Think You Can Dance

The Little Couple

Wife Swap

H1: Viewers of the Bachelor have a more life-long, romantic perception of relationships.

Positve Neutral Negative0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Chart Title

Show Society Self

Positvie Neutral Negative0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Jersey Shore Perceptions of Personal Relationship

Show Society Self

H2: Viewers of Jersey Shore have a more short-term, superficial perception of relationships.

Discussion/ Conclusion

• Wider range of demographics

• Question design

• People generally have more positive perceptions of their own personal

dating life than those of reality TV programming and society.

• People who watch reality TV programming are more likely to have

positive perceptions of societal dating norms.